CO2 extracts in their native form are lipophilic (fat soluble) ingredients that cannot be used directly in aqueous media. To circumvent this limitation, Biozevtika manufactures a special type of products – water-soluble microemulsions of CO2 extracts, which are colloidal pseudo-solutions like micelles (small lipophilic particles) of CO2 extracts in water.
Microemulsions of CO2 extracts dissolve easily in water without generating opalescence (turbidity) and without forming a precipitate. The aqueous medium to which the microemulsion has been added takes on the taste and smell of the original plant material. The main area of application of microemulsions of CO2 extracts are various types of beverages – soft drinks, tonics, juices, kefir, yogurt and many others. Microemulsions of CO2 extracts are also used in the production of instant soups, ice cream, cottage cheese, soft cheeses, sauces, mayonnaise, creams, casseroles, marinades, syrups, jams, confectionery fillings and a number of other products.
The shelf life of conventional oil-in-water emulsions, which are widely used in food production, is usually short – they delaminate quickly. However, microemulsions of CO2 extracts do not have this disadvantage – ingredients of this type can be stored for a year and more without settling or forming a precipitate. This is achieved through the use of a special production technology that allows for a very fine splitting of the lipophilic particles of CO2 extracts in water. The average size of microemulsion micelles is 2-94 nm – with such a size of lipophilic particles, Coulomb repulsive forces appear between them, which prevent them from sticking together into particles of larger sizes, which significantly slows down the separation process.
What is interesting about microemulsions of CO2 extracts is that they convey the taste and smell of the original plant material even slightly better than the CO2 extracts themselves. This is due to the fact that finely broken microemulsion particles stimulate the taste buds better. The taste of products containing microemulsions of CO2 extracts is very distinctive, fresh and rich.
Another important feature of microemulsions of CO2 extracts is that they have high penetration ability and perfectly impregnate the volume of the product. This is also due to the very fine comminution of lipophilic particles, which penetrate deep into the product and impregnate it with flavors and aromas through and through. Because of this property, microemulsions of CO2 extracts are unsurpassed marinades for products such as meat, poultry, fish, vegetables and mushrooms. Unlike traditional curing methods, which in most cases only have a superficial effect, CO2 extract-based marinades saturate the product to its full depth, merging intimately with its own tastes and smells, creating an incisive end product that captures the tastes of the consumer can genuinely and very pleasantly surprise end consumers.
The widest range of possibilities opens up for the use of microemulsions of CO2 extracts in the area of communal catering. In fact, from the chef’s point of view, this ingredient is liquid spices that allow you to add flavor to any dish – for example, when preparing a spicy, but at the same time transparent broth. They can also be used to make salad dressings, marinate meat or fish, add spicy notes to lemonades, create characteristic sauces or desserts on their basis – and these are just a few randomly selected examples, since it is impossible to enumerate the full range of options.
Microemulsions of CO2 extracts are a whole new range of varieties and tools that allow you to create products that have no analogues on the market – novelty in taste, simplicity and ease of use, as well as the ability to add an ingredient to cold products, open the door to broad new perspectives.
As an example of which ingredients you can now easily and easily add to your product, here is a small selection list: black pepper, allspice, chili, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, mint, lemon balm, juniper, lemon peel, lemon peel, orange, clove, basil , dill, cumin, coriander, bay leaf, cumin, thyme, rosemary, savory, oregano, marjoram, fir, eucalyptus, fenugreek, rose, chamomile, lavender and many others. See the Products section for a full list or contact us and receive a catalogue.
The average application rate of microemulsions of CO2 extracts in the volume of the final product is 2-5 ml/l (kg). In addition to the main range, ready-made mixtures (blends) of CO2 extract microemulsions intended for addition to various types of products (sodas, milk and sour milk products, juices, jams, preserves, etc.) are available. In addition, there are also recipes and technological guides for the production of final products based on microemulsions of CO2 extracts (lemonade, ice cream and some others) that can be made available to customers on request.