A simple cellulose sulphate based microencapsulation technology has been applied to encapsulate bacterial or other microbial cells, which produce and release digestive enzymes and thereby provides an acid resistant shelter for these microbial cells. Surprisingly, the resulting spheres were found to provide sufficient protection for encapsulated cells from treatment with aqueous acidic solutions. Thereby the cellulose sulphate microencapsulated cells, such as probiotics are now enabled to survive passage, for example, through the stomach after consumption by a human or animal with a higher survival rate than those not within a microcapsule. After passing the stomach these cells are delivering products produced by them, e.g. enzymes or other nutrition factors. This technology therefore proves to be very useful in providing digestive or otherwise beneficial enzymes and/or of living microbial cells, into the lower gastrointestinal tract, where they could confer their health benefit to the host.
