Micelle

When amphipathy material is dissolved into polar solvent (representatively, water), it convenes, making nucleus of lipophile(non-polar group), hydrophilic group(polar stage) outside, lypophile inside, from some extent. It can disperse the hydrophobic material into water, inside cell lipophile, outside hydrophilic radical. Representatively, surfactant forms micelle, and micelle appears suddenly at some density. The density of micelle appearance is the critical micelle density.

Generally, it can capsulate the ingredients without soluble such as non-polar molecule, flavoring, antibacterial material, antioxidant, and vitamin, etc. While it is used in pharmaceutical industry, it is taken center stage even in food industry recently.

Nanoemulsion

It is the emulsion composed of less than functional particle of 1 ㎛ (generally, 100-200 nm). Such RPS looks transparent or translucent by refractive index difference between size of particle and oil image, continuous image. Nano-emulsion should be distinguished from microemulsion stable thermodynamically, and transparent or translucent, size 5-50nm.

O/W single nano-emulsion can be utilized in bio delivery system of various bioactive lipid and capsulation, and, for example, it can be used in delivery system of body through incorporating of useful component, in case of capsulation of ω-3 fatty acid, milk, yoghurt, and ice cream, etc. This delivery systme using nano-emulsion has effect on prevention of oxidation in unsaturated fatty acid within oil particle.

Multilayer O/W nano-emulsion is made by homogenizing each small oil particles encased by nano-laminated layer composed of emulsifier or biopolymer into water particles. Multilayer nano-emulsion has advantage of improving the physical stability against external environment and capsulated components, adjusting components and features of boundary layer, Multilayer nano-emulsion has more stable in the condition of frozen, defrost, heat treatment, and calcium of high density, etc., compared to single nano-emulsion.

Liposome

It is the fine endoplasmic reticulum of hydrophile space inside, and closed, double lipid membrane outside. Liposome with size from 10 nm to 100 nm is nanosome.

The research which combined nano technology and drug has been investigated mainly in field of medicine rather than food. Recently, however, it begins to apply nano liposome even in field of food industry. Nano liposome is utilized to coating technology in field of food, and it has function to prevent or protect the disruption and denaturalization in minimum condition or from food environment around. It is utilized to ability of delivering target substance into specific part of food system. Especially, in field of food industry, it is applied to reduction of cheese mature time, coating goods such as fat soluble and water soluble vitamin, and antioxidant, and development of nutrient-fortified milk through addition into milk of liposome collected the bio-active material.

Besides, it is not only used in reduction of process time and strengthening the nutrient quality, but also helpful to digestion of goods. It also has potential to prevent growth of pathogenic microorganism and rotten microorganism due to capsulation of food preserved agent. Effectively, it is much utilized in field of cosmetics, and it is considered to broaden the scope of institutionalization management, if physiochemical feature/production method of nano liposome is established.

Solid lipid nanoparticle

Solid lipid nanoparticle is the structure to mix lipid with drug at room temperature, manufacture the flat image, disperse it into solution, and exist in solid liquid between lipid crystal for drug.

It adjusts the density of lipid, density of emulsion stabilizer, and temperature of crystallization, etc., and induces loading of core material and lipid crystal of proper size.

Besides, it controls the size of lipid nano particle through ultrasonic diffuser, power of high pressure homogenizer, speed, and adjustment of processing time. Because it uses the phosphatide, lipid, and cholesterol, etc. within body, it has high body utilization rate and affinity, and it can control the emission of drug. Also, it is used as particulate drug carrier with high stability for decomposition of agent, etc. It collects fat-soluble material, and enhances dispersibility, and prevents the cohesion of particle, efficiently. Without toxic carrier such as organic solvent, it can control the emission feature of fat-soluble and hydrophile drug, and can emit drug at target area.

Nano technology applied to food/health functional food

General food applied nano technology is strengthened by dairy product, cereal, bread, and beverage, etc., now, vitamin, mineral(ferrum, magnesium, and zinc, etc.), probiotics, bioactive peptide, antioxidant, plant sterol, and bean, etc. Some part of such active components is added into food as nano particle, and nano-capsulation active element including vitamin, fatty acid is sold for the purpose of production of beverage, meat, and cheese and preservation, commercially.

The aspect of utilizing nano technology in functional food is very various. Provided it use nano technology, it can be protected from external factors such as light, oxygen, moisture, and temperature, etc. by capsulizing the functional materials such as natural extract, drug, vitamin, antioxidant, flavoring, and pigment, etc. Also, it can minimize the loss during process of processing and distribution, and increase the storage quality as well.

Suppose it uses carrier system, it can protect functional element and adjust emission speed or be utilized as delivery system, until it is used within body after absorbing functional material. Micelle and liposome can deliver the flavor promotion, anti oxidant, coenzyme Q10, vitamin, mineral, active element, protein, enzyme, antibacterial, etc. Capsulizing the active material such as polyphenol can prevent oxidation and minimize the unpleasant taste from food. Nano structure gained from milk or milk serum protein can be used as gelant, active element, or material carrier.

Food additive

Nano particle is added into lots of foods intentionally as artificial additive, in order to improve the fluidity, color, and stability during production of food or extend distribution period in addition to delivery of nutrients. For instance, alumino-silicate is usually used as anti-caking agent in granula or powdered food. Anatase Titanium dioxide is used in cookie, cheese, and source as whitening and brightener of food normally.

Increasing use of active element, nano capsule with fortified additive in foods is added mainly to the micro-capsulized food up to now, but it is produced as nano capsule as small as thousand times in order to increase efficacy. Nano size or efficiency of fortified additive is dependent on bio-availability brings the improvement of bio-availability, solubility, and effect, compared to micro-capsulized. Food additive applied nano technology can not only promote the inherent taste and scent of food, but also block specific taste, and it can enhance the transparency and storage period of goods such as beverage.

Capsulizing food material can protect the perishable material from external environment, and it can be used as minimizing material of chemical, biological reaction between food materials during production, distribution, and storage. Depending on time in food material, it can be solved the material necessary for constant emission, emitted material at specific point by being protected for regular time, and material from solvent and external environment, by nano technology.

Most liquid material such as scent has a limit in use, for it is difficult to produce in various foods such as bakery mix or beverage mix, etc. until now. However, suppose it is powdered liquid material through capsulizing of food material using nano technology, it can overcome such limitation and be adapted to various foods.

Nano technology used in food packaging

Food packaging using nano technology can overcome the limitation of existing food packaging. It is the very polymer nanocomposite which is applied easily in the field of heavy weight packaging of existing nano technology.

Nanocomposite is the complex material to be strengthened as particle of nm size having polymer for packaging material as structure of plate, fiber, or particle (16, 17). Nanocomposite dispersed evenly and formed nano particle is increased the physical intensity even in small amount of less than 5%, compared to pure polymer, and it is excellent in thermal and optical feature. Also, it has good feature in decreasing degree of gas saturation, etc., so it is known as desirable property for packaging material.

Nanocomposite using TiO2, nano clay, and SiO2, etc. and nano particle for food packaging can improve deodorization, blocking ultra violet ray, penetrability, and thermal feature. In addition, it can protect foods from external substance, bacteria, and fungus, etc. TiO2 in forms of nano has already sold as plastic vessel or foil packaging using transparency in many companies.

Nylon nanocomposite maintains the freshness, prevents bad smells, and has high blocking ability of oxygen and carbonate dioxide, so it is used as various alcohol beverage vessel such as beer PET, etc. Besides, it can increase the storage quality of existing food, utilizing nano particle with anti-fungus or antibacterial into food packaging. Recently, nano packaging for food is developed actively the smart packaging technology to be easy to know for consumers about food information.

For example, it can use fluorescent nano particle in food packaging and detected the chemical material, disease germ of food, and harmful material, by using electro-chemical nano sensor. Also, it can be utilized the biodegradable nano sensor to monitor the optimum temperature, moisture, and cooking time of food as food packaging.