Microencapsulate and process for the manufacture thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a microencapsulate comprising microcapsules having a diameter of 0.1 μm to 25 μm, said microcapsules comprising: —a core particle having a diameter of 90 nm to 23 μm and containing at least 3% of the active component by weight of said core particle; and—a coating that fully envelops the core particle and containing at least 20 wt. % of a hydrophobic polymer selected from cellulosic ethers, cellulosic esters, zein, shellac, gluten, polylactide, hydrophobic starch derivatives, polyvinyl acetate polymers, polymers or copolymers derived from an acrylic acid ester and/or a methacrylic acid ester and combinations thereof; wherein the core particle contains a release trigger component and/or the coating contains a release trigger component, said release trigger component being selected from: —a water-swellable polymer having a water-uptake capacity at 37° C. and pH 7.0 of less than 20 wt. % and a water-uptake capacity at 37° C. and pH 2.0 of at least 50 wt. %; and—an edible salt having a water solubility at 37° C. and a pH of 7.0 of less than 1 mg/ml and a water solubility at 37° C. and a pH of 2.0 of at least 5 mg/ml; The microencapsulate of the present invention does not release the encapsulated active component when incorporated in water-containing foodstuffs, beverages, nutritional compositions or pharmaceutical compositions. Following ingestion, however, the active component is released rapidly.