**4. Elaborating carriers/bioactive compounds to a larger scale, at the level of a food production line**

Once the research stage study, development and application of matrices with BC at laboratory scale is finished, the final stage begins. The valuable part of this procedure is that if its production feasibility is analyzed when determining liposomes' production or any other matrix on a laboratory scale, it is easy to bring it up to a higher volume. Once the laboratory stage has succeeded, it is possible to upgrade to a larger production scale.


*Total assay acceptability of liposomal formulations. Qualifications of 40 panelists in commercial chocolate milk with or without liposomes SPC, SPC:Sa or SPC:CaS or with 5 mM of VE and 0.136 mM of FA pasteurized. Statistics were performed using the test for paired samples between each chocolate milk, with and without liposomes-BC. The results with significant differences are shown as \* p <0.5; \*\* p <0.01; \*\*\* p <0.001 [29].*

#### **Table 4.**

*Total assay acceptability of liposomal formulations.*

The larger-scale production phase comprises a series of studied, analyzed, and calculated stages in what is called project evaluation. The purpose of which is to verify whether the functional product can be produced and developed at an industrial level, which can also be positioned in a specific market niche according to consumers' needs and that it is economically profitable to produce and commercially market it. In this way, in our line of research, the evaluation of the project has been carried out, which analyzed the feasibility of installing a pilot plant that produces functional chocolate milk being fortified with VE and FA, and added with essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6, choline and calcium (from the liposomal formulation). This type of study should consider the project idea as a starting point, and that it is related to the product to be marketed, its definition and characteristics, the type of BC, the nutritional benefits, and the deficiencies and needs of the country population. Subsequently, a market study of the functional product must be carried out, analysis of supply and demand, and analyzing the future projection in the market.

In the second part of the project evaluation, technical analysis of the plant must be carried out, which includes determining the factory's location, the quantity, and characteristics of the industrial equipment necessary according to the process—also considering the capacity of the machines according to the volume of production, process, and space. The shifts and number of working days must be analyzed according to the production volume and established product demand. We are also carrying out an administrative study considering the various aspects such as organization chart, functions, and responsibilities of the plant's employees.

The last part of the project consists of carrying out an economic analysis considering the initial investment, total operating costs, financial and economic budgets, income statement, and breakeven point and culminating with the economic evaluation of investment and determination of the economic profitability of the project [63].

Regarding the type of plant to produce the functional food, in the beginning, a small-scale pilot plant can be established, which will grow as the functional foods demands increase. It is important to highlight that the capacity of the machinery and production volume are related to the supply and demand of functional foods, in which the area to be commercialized the functional product maters, as well as with the total and variable fixed costs of production and the price of sale that will have the functional food. This last aspect is not minor, given that a consistent and competitive sale price is needed, which allows the functional food to enter and position itself in the market. All these points mentioned will be considered in the equilibrium point calculation, which allows identifying the number of functional food units that must be marketed per month to cover the sum of the total fixed and variable costs of the enterprise and to be found in balance. The equilibrium point is a reference point that indicates the minimum level of sales that must be produced not to suffer losses [64]. If the functional product's sales exceed the breakeven point, the plant will make a profit. Nevertheless, to analyze the project's profits and profitability in-depth, a series of indices such as the net present value and the internal rate of return must be calculated [65].

Of all the detailed points of the evaluation of a project, the technical analysis of the plant has a close relationship with the production and incorporation of the matrices that the BC will carry in a food production line. A technical study analysis, studies and calculates how the production line will be assembled, its lay-out, machinery and capacity, and the production volume, among other aspects.

And it is at this stage that you should consider how to incorporate BC into food production line. In the technical study of the project evaluation in our line of chocolate milk with the incorporation of liposomal formulations with BC, and

#### *Why Produce Food-Bioactive Compounds to Generate Functional Grade Foods? DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96421*

considering that it is a pasteurized and homogenized chocolate milk, it was proposed that the liposomal formulations would be incorporated after the milk homogenization stage. This decision based preventing liposomes from damaging their structure and prior to pasteurization, to ensure food safety of the entire product.

In other words, the liposomes will be incorporated into the pasteurization tank with the chocolate milk so that the heat treatment is carried out on the functional food. The low temperature heat treatment will be applied for a long time, at a temperature of 65 ºC for 30 minutes, in order to eliminate pathogenic microorganisms and decrease the bacterial flora that cause the deterioration of the product. Subsequently, a cooling will be carried out in the same pasteurization tank in order to avoid intermediate temperatures that favors the growth of microorganisms and/ or unwanted effects produced in the nutrients present in the milk resulting in a greater unnecessary exposure to heat. The milk will be cooled by circulating water in the same jacketed tank where the pasteurization was carried out.

A high-pressure homogenizer will be used for the formation and incorporation of the liposomes. It is the high-pressure homogenizer. The turbine's high rotation speed and the deflection of the materials through the plate create a continuous flow through the stator. The result is a smooth surface without lumps, a mixture of both emulsion and dispersion components. A microfluidizer will also be used to obtain a uniform distribution of particles with a built-in heat exchanger for product discharge at a constant temperature.

The necessary procedure will consist of adding 500 g SPC: CaS with VE to 9.5 liters of drinking water with the AF and dispersing the sample using the homogenizer at a temperature of 35 °C at 8000 rpm for 30 minutes. Next, the liposomal suspension obtained will be processed with the microfluidizer at a pressure of 100 MPa for 5 minutes [66]. The incorporation of the liposomes will be carried out from the microfluidizer, where they have been formed towards the batch pasteurization tank. The liposomal suspension will be added to the milk with the correct dilution since the concentration of the preparation is notably higher than that added to the milk.

It is essential to consider the implementation of equipment designed to work on a pilot scale, but with the possibility of expansion to production volumes. In this way, it will be possible to start with small production volumes but increase them as functional food is increasingly positioned in the food market.
