METHOD FOR MICRO-ENCAPSULATION OF NATURAL INGREDIENTS BY MEANS OF CONTACTING WITH SUPERCRITICAL GAS

The invention provides a method for microencapsulating a natural ingredient in an encapsulation material, comprising:mixing said natural ingredient for microencapsulation in a first liquid for providing a first mixture;mixing said encapsulation material in a second liquid for providing a second mixture, said first liquid and second being substantially immiscible, in particular displaying phase separation after being mixed;preparing a microemulsion from said first mixture and said second mixture using mechanical shear forces;spraying said microemulsion through a nozzle into a high-pressure vessel while drying it under continuously circulating supercritical CO2 to a powder having a particle size of between 0.1 and 100 microns, in particular between 0.1 and 10 microns.