Powdered alcohol, microencapsulation and aseptic packaging: understanding food and drink today

A U.S. entrepreneur has been garnering headlines around the world for a product called “palcohol”, a powdered alcohol that can be turned into a cocktail by adding water. 

Palcohol made writer Dominic Ali  think about other ways beverages could be packaged and sold, so he contacted Professor Emeritus Levente Diosady, a food engineering professor with the University of Toronto’s Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry department.

For the past three months, Diosady has been developing iron-fortified tea to prevent iron deficiencies around the world – an idea that could be as important to public health as adding iodine to table salt to prevent thyroid problems.

Ali caught up with him to learn the basics of how alcohol and other beverages could be produced and sold in the future.

Is powdered alcohol REALLY possible?
Yes – alcohol can be encapsulated, as in brandy-filled chocolates, or in miniature as in the flavor buds in instant puddings. As the details of the technology for powdered alcohol is not revealed in the video,[ the inventor released a YouTube video in which he discusses his product]  I have to rely on my basic knowledge of similar products. In any case, it is clear that alcohol, which is a liquid at normal temperatures, has to be "contained", either in microcapsules, or inside an absorbent, either of which adds to the volume of the product. Also, it must be edible, and not add to the flavour or colour of the product.

How could it be created?
One of two approaches are possible: the alcohol is absorbed in a solid, or, more likely, it is microencapsulated. In both cases you need to contain it in a material that dissolves in water.

Considering “instant” refreshments such as Kool-Aid drink crystals have been around for decades, why hasn’t this been attempted before?
The trick is to find an encapsulant that dissolves in water, but is not dissolved by alcohol. It also needs to be neutral in taste and, of course, safe for human consumption.

What are some of products that you’ve found to be revolutionary from a food engineering perspective?
The most pervasive over the past 25 years has been aseptic packaging – this is the technology for the small juice boxes, soups, and milk that does not need refrigeration. Microencapsulation for flavours and bioactive ingredients is another broadly used technology. For example, live cells are encapsulated and added to yogurt to promote digestive health. Many ready-to-eat products rely on novel packaging and preservation technologies. Think of microwaveable frozen entrees, such as Lean Cuisine or Café Steamers which can be taken from the freezer and zapped  to provide a complete meal.

Alcohol is used in different industries apart from drinking, such as a fuel, for example. What are some potential ways powdered alcohol could revolutionize different industries?
In most industrial situations, shipping large quantities of liquid is actually simpler and cheaper than shipping a powder. There may be an advantage in reduced flammability - but this depends on what the alcohol is coated/absorbed with.

And reconstituted palcohol is too dilute to be used as fuel.

I can see powdered alcohols in windshield washer fluids, but that is a very low-value product, and I don't see a huge saving in shipping the concentrate, rather than the finished product.

The idea of using powdered alcohol in emergency medical situation faces the difficulty of finding safe water to reconstitute the alcohol. In most disasters, clean water is harder to find than medical alcohol.

I am sure there will be clever entrepreneurs who will find niche markets for products made with powdered alcohol. I expect that these will come in the food and beverage sectors. Clearly, powdered alcohol is a clever product, and should get a lot of sales from its novelty, much more than from its practicality.

So would you try “palcohol”?
I would try it, for fun. My poison is wine or cognac, neither of which is likely to be powdered.