TSI’s FZZR tech stirs up delivery format opportunities

28-Jul-2023 - Last updated on 10-Aug-2023 at 18:18 GMT

TSI's FZZR Granules in action. Image courtesy of TSI

With non-pills eclipsing pill formats in the US dietary supplements space, formulators and brands are looking for new innovations to differentiate products on the shelves. TSI’s FZZR technology offers “the best of powders and the best of effervescents and blends them together.”

The company showcased the technology at Vitafoods Europe in May, where they “witnessed an overwhelming positive response, predominantly from the UK and Europe,” Patrick Antolak, Head of Marketing for TSI’s Contract Manufacturing Division, told us. “However, the interest in our offerings has extended far beyond those regions, with significant attention coming from Australia, the US, South America, and Southeast Asia as well.”

Demand for non-pill delivery formats continues to grow, with the data from the Nutrition Business Journal showing that the non-pill share of the dietary supplements market grew by 19% between 2013 and 2021. Non-pills were 37% of the market in 2013 and reportedly grew to 56% of consumer sales by 2021. The top four most popular non-pill formats in 2021 were gummies, powders, liquids, and effervescents.

The FZZR technology is combining these formats: “We take the best of powders and the best of effervescents and blend them together,” Antolak said.

Advantages

The company has three distinct product types in its FZZR family: Granules, melts, and mints. Each brings the fizz to the formulation and offers consumers a different experience.

According to TSI, FZZR technology can offer several advantages compared to conventional supplement formats, including higher active and/or multiple actives loading, greater shelf life, great taste, easier swallowing/more tolerable, greater customer experience, and convenience.

FZZR granules can be formulated to accommodate up to 2,000 mg per serving (compared to a typical tablet or capsule that may be limited around 500 mg, and therefore multiple pills must be consumed to achieve the same dose).

For hydration products these can be in the region of 20 grams or more to be mixed in 500-600 grams of water, said Antolak. This would typically be delivered as a powder, but the FZZR granules can provide a suitable alternative.

“The technology also allows for multi-function or mix’n’match formulations, allowing for complex formulations that target multiple health concerns,” he said. “The granules allow for the bioactives to be kept separate until they dissolve. The granules can be colored differently to show consumers that the formulations contain granules serving different functions.”

Melts and more

The FZZR melts could offer alternatives to gummies, said Antolak, and offer customized disintegration speeds, allowing for faster or slow disintegration in the mouth. The melts also have a fizz providing a “unique and innovative sensation that sets them apart from other melts on the market.”

TSI will continue to showcase the FZZR delivery formats at events this year, notably SupplySide West and Vitafoods Asia, said Antolak.

“Thanks to the collective efforts of working together with our valued partners, we anticipate multiple launches within this calendar year, with even more planned in the coming 12 months across the globe,” he added.