© 2021 MJH Life Science and Nutrition Outlook. all rights reserved.

© 2021 MJH Life Sciences™ and Nutrition Outlook. all rights reserved.

What are the main factors to consider when deciding on a plant-based delivery system and a gelatin delivery system?

Like other CPG categories, plant-based products in the dietary supplement field are warmly welcomed. So warmly welcome Future Market Insights predicts that the compound annual growth rate of the global vegetarian (ie, vegan, not just vegan) supplement market from 2020 to 2028.1 will be 10.9%

However, while the growing demand for plant-based products has improved the profit prospects for manufacturers of plant blends, phytonutrient-driven antioxidant formulations, and non-marine omega-3 manufacturers, these profits will only be realized if the manufacturer sees plant-based properties in the big picture .

In other words, Lindsey Toth, Associate Director of Global Marketing at Lonza Capsules & Health Components (Basel, Switzerland), said: “For brands developing new plant-based supplements, the most important thing is to think and plan as a whole from the inside out. Yes, your ingredients are a key part of the formula, but what is often forgotten is the dosage form."

However, as plant-based choices continue to improve, dosage forms will no longer be forgotten.

Consumers’ interest in plant-based dietary supplements—and all the health and ecological virtues they embody—will not surprise the industry.

This certainly does not surprise Toth. He has witnessed the growing demand for plant-based supplements, and has also witnessed the growing demand for a series of trend-setting products-from vegan and organic to GMO-free and simple "clean". In fact, she said, “Today, 79% of consumers value products made from natural, clean sources. 2”

All of this led Michael Baumann, Global Strategic Marketing Manager of IFF (New York City) to conclude: "Whether it is more ecologically conscious or plant-based, consumers are becoming more selective when choosing products that suit their lifestyle. And diet Restrictions. Manufacturers must adapt."

This also means adjusting the dosage form of the supplement.

Toth said that Lonza’s proprietary research found that 70% of US consumers said that dosage form is a factor in their choice of supplements. 3

Dan Peizer, vice president of global strategy and marketing for consumer health at Catalent Inc. (Somerset, NJ), added that many of these consumers are looking for plant-based options "across multiple supplement categories."

In the case of botanicals, this is a key focus, “because they are consistent with botanical information,” Peizer claims, and entering the botanical omega-3 market like ahiflower is also expected to stimulate demand for botanical delivery.

Alas, supplement platforms like hard capsules, soft capsules, and gummies have traditionally been gelatin-based dosage forms—and they still are.

"There is no doubt that the demand for non-animal breeds is increasing," admits Angie Rimel, marketing communications manager at Gelita USA (Sioux City, Iowa). "But the gelatin market is still active and dominant."

She pointed out that according to the database of Innova Market Insights, about 90% of soft capsules and hard capsules rely on gelatin as a dosage form, and about 90% of the latest supplements in the gelatin category include hard capsules, soft capsules and other products, and soft sweets.

As far as Liz Clarke is concerned, there is "good reason" for the ubiquity of gelatin: "Its physical properties, including thermal reversibility and gelling properties independent of pH, are unmatched by current plant-based ingredients," North American Technology Marketing The manager said in Nitta Gelatin NA (Morrisville, North Carolina).

The performance and operational advantages of gelatin begin with its economy and simplicity relative to plant-based options. Example: Rimel points out that compared to the production of capsules using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) (gelatin’s main plant-based counterpart), the production of gelatin capsules requires 40% less raw materials.

"When processability and efficacy are performance criteria, gelatin capsules also prevail," Rimel continued. She explained that the capsule shell must form a "very thin and precise cast film", and gelatin and even carrageenan can easily achieve this; in contrast, the process of using starch-based ingredients (such as HPMC) "may Slow and more complicated".

Compared with HPMC, gelatin capsules allow less oxygen to enter, which is a boon when providing oxidation-sensitive formulations. Rimel said that in order to provide the same protection, HPMC capsules must either contain antioxidants or use sealed blister and foil packaging.

Rimel says that pharmaceutical-grade gelatin is usually easy to dissolve to quickly release the payload and disintegrate within three minutes after digestion. At the same time, “standard HPMC hard capsules take longer to dissolve and disintegrate, and problems with inconsistent and unreliable release have been reported.”

Clark reminded brands to consider the availability of ingredients when going beyond gelatin. She said: “It is undeniable that supply chains everywhere are still experiencing the pressure caused by COVID, and the complexity of manufacturing inputs for certain vegetable gelatin substitutes may add additional obstacles.”

Therefore, although hard gelatin capsules require a raw material to produce—hint: it’s gelatin—HPMC capsules “require a lot of other chemical inputs,” Clark said, “including ethylene and propylene oxide—both raw materials have already appeared. Severe availability disruptions and dramatic price fluctuations in the past year."

Finally, "Gelatin is a natural, single-component product that has been used in home kitchens for more than 80 years," Clark declared. "Many plant-based products, including HPMC, are highly processed synthetic ingredients and are considered food additives." In the end, she believes that even "natural and non-genetically modified animal-derived ingredients may be better than highly processed ingredients." Plant ingredients are more attractive."

So gelatin has many uses. But it also has disadvantages.

"Many consumers know what it's like to leave gelatin fudge in the car on a sunny day," Bowman points out. "The gummy has lost its shape and formed a big piece." Although this shortcoming is obvious to consumers, other shortcomings are obvious to manufacturers.

These include potential ingredient interactions and subsequent stability issues, as well as the high moisture content of the gelatin capsule shell (approximately 12% to 14%). In contrast, Bowman said that the 4% to 6% moisture content of HPMC-based capsules “better protects hygroscopic and moisture-sensitive ingredients while providing chemical stability against crosslinking.”

Therefore, Udo Losehand, head of global technology developer at Roquette (Geneva, Illinois), said, “Despite the many advantages of gelatin, manufacturers are exploring alternative materials to overcome these challenges and satisfy consumers’ preference for plant-based properties.”

Initially, these alternatives shrank in the shadow of gelatin, often failing to achieve the latter's performance and quality characteristics.

Fortunately, “in the past ten years, plant-based delivery has undoubtedly made great strides,” Peizer insists. With the development of HPMC in the 1950s, he claimed: "Other plant-based technologies have been introduced to provide powerful non-gelatin options to meet consumer needs and technical flexibility to allow for a wider range of formulations and filling options."

When choosing these technologies, he recommends focusing on those technologies that provide "all the functional and aesthetic advantages consumers expect from traditional materials, while adding advantages that are attractive to both consumers and brands."

For example, Peizer noticed “very interest” in Catalent’s Vegicaps soft capsules, which he said demonstrated all the experiential advantages of gelatin-based products — including improved swallowing sensations — while providing formulators A wider range of formulas and potential for certification-vegetarian products, too.

Toth added, “Make sure that the form fits the ingredients you are using. For example, some may be sensitive to light or moisture, while others need to prevent stomach acid. And consider the entire process-from target consumer needs to filling and processability. sex."

Research has led Lonza to launch the tried-and-tested HPMC for its Capsugel Vcaps and Vcaps Plus capsules, which Toth describes as the "ideal choice" for protecting moisture-labile ingredients such as herbs and minerals and providing immediate release properties. "We can add gelling technology to our base HPMC polymer to further modify the release profile of the capsule-this is very useful when dealing with acid-sensitive ingredients."

For the company's Plantcaps capsules, amylopectin (an ingredient produced through the fermentation of cassava) was selected. Toth said that it can protect oxygen-sensitive ingredients, quickly release active substances, and achieve organic labeling in the United States, making Plantcaps "the final dosage form of clean label formulations."

Baumann advocates alginate coatings for delayed-release tablets and capsules, where the active substance needs to be protected from gastric acid when it enters the intestines for absorption. Baumann said that alginate is made from brown seaweed, which can maintain the integrity of the supplement throughout the digestion process; but even if it needs to be released immediately, “cellulose-based super disintegrants can be used in tablets, capsules, granules, oral cavity Fast action in disintegrating tablets and chewable tablets."

Although Baumann said that vegetable soft capsules have historically lacked the "excellent sealing performance" and high filling capacity of gelatin-compared with the filling of 85% to 100% of the typical soft capsule volume of gelatin, even simple filling can only Reaching 50% to 70% capacity — IFF has specially developed the "optimized shell" SeaGel system to meet these standards and replicate the flexibility of gelatin in terms of size, shape, and filling options.

Losehand pointed out that Roquette put the pea starch formulation into its Lycagel series. Through their pace in capsule applications, they found that, among other benefits, the drying time for these ingredients is four to five days, which is the same as the drying time of three to four days. Compared to very good gelatin soft capsules are usually needed.

"In terms of capsule performance," Losehand continued, "One of the best properties of high-performance pea starch is its strength relative to gelatin and its ability to maintain structural integrity during production and storage." Tests even showed that the product It retains a hardness of 19.1 N after 6 months at 25°C and 60% relative humidity, and 17.3 N after 12 months at 20°C.

Losehand added that the lack of cross-linking of pea starch also means that there is no significant increase in capsule disintegration during storage. He said that in tests, the product disintegrated in less than 8 minutes after 12 months at 20°C and 6 months at 40°C and 75% relative humidity. “Further testing showed that our pea starch capsules did not leak or stick, and the moisture content did not exceed 8% at 25°C and 60% relative humidity and 20°C," he added.

However, although plant-based dosage forms have largely tamed capsules and softgels, it turns out that soft sweets are more difficult to subdue.

Bowman said this is because gelatin has created the "unique instant experience and texture" that consumers have become accustomed to. This standard has historically been beyond the scope of plant-based ingredients, but technologies involving carrageenan, starch, agar, and pectin are improving.

In particular, pectin is "a special gel-like gel former," Bowman said, and it provides "soft, soft mouthfeel and a cleaner, shorter bite." Its uniform gel properties create what he calls a "clean and shiny appearance" with excellent taste and flavor release. Baumann also praised pectin for its "effective setting time and stability during storage and transportation."

"But not all pectins are created equal," Bowman warned. "Pectins tailored for gum supplements—such as the Grindsted Pectin CF Premium grade—allow label claims, ease of implementation, and efficient handling."

Mantrose-Haeuser Company, Inc./NatureSeal Inc. (Westport, Connecticut) Americas Sales and Coating Director Scott Bergeron pointed out that Mantrose-Haeuser has expanded its range of plant-based Certicoat anti-stick polishes for viscous vitamins . The clean label coating is made of plant-based waxes and oils, which not only makes the gummies look better in the packaging-achieve matte or high-gloss finishes, he said-but also extend the shelf life while providing good surface lubricity and fluidity.

Bergeron added that there are several certified organic foods to choose from. "Sustainability and environmental impact are important in consumer decisions," he said. "By providing high-quality plant-based products with superior processing advantages and a variety of finishes, we enable manufacturers to provide their customers with customized delivery systems."

Clark points out that adhesive formulators will even switch to a mixture of animal and vegetable gelling agents to optimize processability and create "unique new textures," as she puts it. "This is an exciting area because it allows product developers to go from short to flexible to chewy and anything in between."

But perhaps most importantly, it proves that "there is room for various ingredients in the delivery system world," Clark said, "and there are many things to consider besides simple plant or animal ingredients."