Fizzy enjoyment for trendy confectionery

With everything from gummy bears to filled candies to lollipops, micro-encapsulated fizzy products guarantee stimulating, tailor-made taste experiences. Micro-encapsulation technology at the tradition-rich Raps company from Kulmbach, Germany improves product properties in a number of ways.

They ensure for example that the flavour, colour and acidity are homogenously combined with the fizzy powder, the fizz effect remains stable and sustainable and the release of the flavour can be controlled. The modular system makes it possible to combine the individual components. In this way, all of the products can be further combined with additional components such as sugar or food dyes in an unlimited range of possibilities.
Active substances such as fizzy powder are sensitive to high tem­peratures, oxygen, moisture and other influences, and therefore benefit greatly from micro-encapsulation. Encapsulated with a food products-compatible shell, the ingredients retain their colour and taste stability, can be stored longer, easily dosed, they feature outstanding adhesion and in many cases the final product can be made with a smaller quantity of certain raw materials.
The encapsulated sweet-sour fizzy-based products cover a wide range of confectionery as decorative elements or fillings with flavours including raspberry, orange, apple, lemon or “Cola Fizz”. Covered with a final protective coating, the taste and colour combinations are limitless. The “Flavocaps” provide unusual sensory effects. Their flavour release can be defined and controlled for release at the first bite, while chewing or when the products are first swallowed to generate taste and sensory impressions that are anything but run-of-the-mill.
Encapsulated sugar in every form ranging from fine powder to coarse grain sugar also demonstrates greater stability against outside influences during storage. The sugar particles protected in this way can come in colours and flavours according to the customer’s wishes.
Encapsulated fizzy products, flavourings and sugar remain protected until they are consumed, from storage to sale to unpacking. For individual recipes the Raps experts rely on modern technology, market knowledge and their many years of expe­rience in product development. Raps is a partner of numerous large brand name manufacturers in creating exciting taste experiences.

Fluidized bed system and air-flow bed processes
As an ingredient manufacturer, Raps relies on fluidized bed system and air-flow bed technologies for the micro-encapsulation of ingredients. Both processes use temperature-controlled procedures based on air currents, but each has different current flow characteristics and means of injecting liquids. The size and shape of the particles to be encapsulated in a homogenous, protective way are important criteria. New product developments are initially tested on pilot facilities equipped with process chambers featuring a capacity of up to 15 kilograms.

Benefits of micro-encapsulation
• Controlled release of ingredients
• Greater taste and colour stability
• Homogenous distribution of taste, colour and fizz
• Protection from moisture
• Improved product durability and stability during storage
• Improved processing properties
• Greater heat stability
• Improved freezing-thawing stability, for instance with sugar.