An Encapsulated Vitamin A Palmitate Powder With Improved Stability for Use in Food Fortification

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a serious health concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Food fortification is hindered by the instability of vitamin A. The objective was to develop a dry form of vitamin A palmitate (VAP) with improved stability compared to marketed products. This powder could be employed for large-scale food fortification to help prevent VAD. VAP is emulsified with a variety of food-grade ingredients, including basic methacrylate copolymer (BMC). A spray-dried BMC-encapsulated VAP (PFH-VAP) was produced using laboratory-scale equipment. Subsets were assessed for determination of the VAP content and VAP recovery after cooking in water. Another subset was subjected to accelerated stability testing. Two high-performance formulations were produced at the pilot scale. The two most promising PFH-VAP formulations and a commercially available vitamin A product were each incorporated into bouillon cubes, stored (40°C, 75% relative humidity), and subjected to stability testing. The optimized laboratory-scale formulations exhibited > 90% VAP recovery after cooking. The pilot-scale batches showed 95% and 65% VAP recoveries after cooking and accelerated stability testing, respectively. After 12 months of stability testing, 70% and 68% VAP recoveries were achieved for the pilot-scale batches of PFH-VAP-fortified bouillon. A 15% VAP recovery was obtained from the bouillon fortified with a commercial product. PFH-VAP demonstrated a substantial stability advantage over an existing commercial formulation of VAP in a proof-of-concept food vehicle (bouillon). The use of PFH-VAP could increase the nutritional and health benefits of vitamin A-fortified foods and condiments.