The essential oil of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.),
extracted by hydrodistillation, has been characterized as having
antibacterial, antioxidant and free radical scavenger properties
(Gachkar et al., 2007), and its use is of great interest to the industry.
Gum arabic is one of the most common wall materials used for
encapsulating essential oils because of the high encapsulation efficiency
(Gharsallaoui et al., 2007). The microencapsulation can be
used for many applications in the food industry, including stabilization
of the encapsulated material, oxidative reaction control,
controlled release delivery, and masking of flavors, colors and
odors, thus extending shelf life and protecting the components
(Anal and Singh, 2007). One of the most commonly used methods
in the microencapsulation process is spray drying.