A cell-entrapment technique using compressed air was applied to Bifidobacterium longum KCTC 3128 for the improvement of bifidobacteria viability. The main cell-entrapment matrix used was alginate, and viability improvement of the B. longum entrapped in alginate lattices was monitored along with the effects of other additional biopolymers. A prerequisite for acquiring consistent results was the uniformity of bead size and cell distribution which was achieved by using compressed air and mixing the cell suspension with sterilized alginate powder, respectively. The viability losses of the B. longum entrapped in alginate beads in the presence of three different substances logarithmically increased in relation to the reaction time, and proportionately decreased with an increased alginate concentration and bead diameter. The strongest improvement in B. longum viability was exhibited with a bead containing 3％ alginate and 0.15％ xanthan gum.