Ingredient
Encapsulation
Also known as Encapsulated acid, Encapsulated citric acid, Encapsulated cure
A food acid or cure coated in a fat shell that melts at a set temperature to release its contents late in the process.
Encapsulation wraps an ingredient, most often a fermentation acid such as citric or fumaric acid, in a hardened fat coating that stays intact through mixing and only melts and releases when the product is heated to a set point. In quick, acid-added sausages this lets the maker build a tang without a live ferment, releasing the acid on cooking rather than during mixing where it would break the meat bind. Cure and other sensitive ingredients are sometimes encapsulated for the same reason.