New process converts omega-3 oils into powders
The South African firm uses Dynamic Cellular Disruption (DCD), an extraction process which involves 18 steps to disrupt the cell membrane and extract active molecules without the use of heat.
Using DCD the firm can convert lipid molecules of omega-3, 6 and 9 and raw materials such as whole flax seed.
Kaz Henderson, head of marketing and communications at DEF, said most oils on the market are put into soft gels, which are expensive and prohibitive for the consumer.
“With our stablised highly nutritious oil powders the options are greater for producers and manufacturers as the powders can be used in hard gels, tablets or sprinkled over products used in bars, included in shakes and smoothies,” she told NutraIngredients.
“It is cheaper to produce this way (soft gels are expensive), not to mention that it will be easier for the elderly and children to consume a good tasting powder based product than swallowing oil filled capsules that often leave a nasty after taste or fishy/oily regurgitation.”
The drying technology used with DCD allows the company to take up more oil in a smaller amount of excipient, leading to a greater amount of oil powder end product, which is more nutritious.
DEF says the powders are also stable and have an extended shelf life of 18-24 months.
“It is our understanding that to date this has been a problem for other producers who are not able to obtain as high yields and also not able to stabilise, therefore nutritive value is lower and rancidity is an issue, and that is why the product offering has been limited to date,” said Henderson.
Purity
DEF says the process can be applied to all food and pharma-grade oils but the current range includes a 46%-50% pure EPA DHA Omega 3 OP; a Borage OP with 17%-18% pure GLA content; a Flax seed OP with a 35% pure Omega 3 content, an extra virgin coconut OP and a 70% pure medium chain triglyceride OP. The firm has also perfected the process on Astaxanthis Olio-Resins.
“The benefits of these oils are already known and in the public space – what we are doing is producing the oil in a different format that is more versatile and therefore has more applications,” said Henderson. “The health benefits are the same [but] the integrity of the starting raw ingredient is preserved.”
The health benefits linked to essential fatty oils are numerous and have been associated with improvements to conditions such as ADHDI disorders.
The new powders have just been launched globally and one of the first deals was a sale of Flax powders to an Australian food company for food supplementation, said Henderson.
