Spray‐dried microcapsules of red palm olein‐flaxseed oil blend: Development, physicochemical characterization, and evaluation of its potential applications as a fat replacer and β‐carotene fortificant in cupcakes

There is increasing interest in the blending of edible vegetable oils containing essential fatty acids and natural vitamins. The present study aims to develop spray-dried microencapsulates of a blend of red palm oil and flaxseed oil. The wall material composition and inlet temperature of spray drying were varied to maximize the encapsulation efficiency. Among the different trials, maximum encapsulation efficiency was achieved at a core-to-wall ratio of 1:2, an oil payload of 34%, and an inlet temperature of 180°C. The encapsulates were characterized for water activity, bulk density, particle morphology, carotene content, and encapsulation efficiency. To evaluate the potential of spray-dried oil encapsulate as a fat replacer, it was incorporated in cupcake formulation at 40% replacement of butter. The spray-dried oil encapsulates retained more than 70% of β-carotene. Even at a higher oil payload, the spray-dried microcapsules showed good flowability and low moisture content (2.60%). The test cupcake met 36.87% of the recommended dietary allowance for β-carotene. Thus, this study established the potential of spray-dried oil microcapsules as a fat replacer and β-carotene fortificant in cupcakes. Practical applications The blending of edible oils is considered the least expensive approach for attaining the balanced fatty acid composition. Encapsulation increases the shelf life and protects the core component. Red palm oil (RPO) is a minimally processed oil that retains most natural carotenoids, and flaxseed oil (FSO) is rich in its unsaturated fatty acid composition. Thus, the present study aims to use the RPO-FSO encapsulate as a β-carotene fortificant.