Resveratrol is a polyphenol that is associated with numerous health benefits related to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and neurological function. The addition of this compound to food products would help to deliver these health benefits to the consumer. However, bitterness associated with resveratrol may impart negative sensory qualities on the food products into which resveratrol is added; thus, decreasing consumer acceptability. This concern may be resolved by encapsulating resveratrol through spray drying, an innovative processing technique. The objectives of this research were to (1) compare taste detection thresholds of unencapsulated resveratrol and encapsulated resveratrol and (2) determine if the inclusion of anhydrous milk fat in the formulation of the encapsulation wall material affects the taste detection threshold of resveratrol within the microcapsules. Resveratrol microcapsules were produced by encapsulating resveratrol in a protein matrix through spray drying. R-index measure by the rating method was used to determine the average taste detection threshold and the pooled group taste detection threshold. The average and pooled group taste detection thresholds of unencapsulated resveratrol, sodium-caseinate-based resveratrol microcapsule without fat (SC), and sodium-caseinate-based resveratrol microcapsule with fat (SCAMF) were 90 and 47 mg resveratrol/L (unencapsulated), 313 and 103 mg resveratrol/L (SC), 334 and 108 mg resveratrol/L (SCAMF), respectively. The findings demonstrate that the encapsulation of resveratrol decreased the detection of the compound and provided a means to incorporate resveratrol into food products without imparting negative sensory properties.
