A new molecular encapsulating agent that can be ground into various particle sizes while giving stability to large molecules, such as triacylglycerides with omega-3 fatty acids, is now on the market.
Many food professionals in the U.S. food industry were first introduced to cyclodextrins in 1997, when a self-affirmed GRAS petition allowed the b form to be used as a flavor carrier and a protectant at a level of 2% in numerous food products. Cyclodextrins' three-dimensional structure makes these molecules less polar on the interior of the "buckets" than on the surface, allowing them to form inclusions of fat-soluble molecules. That is, molecules with hydrophobic portions are attracted to cyclodextrins' hydrophobic interiors.