Rosehip Extract Bioactive Powders for Enhanced Carotenoid and Lycopene in Ice Cream

This study developed a bioactive powder (BioPowder) from rosehip extract via microencapsulation for use in functional ice cream. Four formulations were tested: control, non-encapsulated extract, and two encapsulated variants (i V.i and i V.ii), using whipping cream, whole milk powder, lactose-free milk, and gluten-free wafer shells with supercritical CO₂-derived shavings. Over 43 days at -18 °C, lipophilic bioactives—carotenoids and lycopene—showed slight degradation, except in the non-encapsulated sample (iE), which exhibited increased concentrations. Enriched samples reached up to 2.5 mg/g carotenes and 800 µg/g lycopene. The project, funded by the EU and supported by EIP-AGRI and EU-FarmBook, demonstrates the potential of encapsulated rosehip extracts to enhance functional food products.