Oil-in-water microemulsions which can be used to incorporate lipophilic water-insoluble materials, such as beta-carotene, into food and beverage compositions are disclosed. The microemulsions utilize a ternary food grade emulsifier system which incorporates a low HLB emulsifier(HLB-value 1-5), a medium HLB emulsifier (HLB-value 6-8), and a high HLB emulsifier (HLB-value 9-17). Food and beverage products including the microemulsions are also disclosed. Finally, the method of preparing the microemulsions is described. The invention also encompasses water-in-oil microemulsions for use in incorporating water-soluble materials into food and beverage products. Finally, the invention encompasses concentrate compositions used for making those microemulsions.
