Vitafoods Europe: Aptar CSP Technologies previews material science solutions for probiotics

08 May 2023 --- Aptar CSP Technologies will preview two new technology innovations for the probiotics market at Vitafoods Europe (Booth J60), starting tomorrow in Geneva, Switzerland. The solutions draw on over 20 years of active material science expertise to deliver stability and protection to powder- and oil-based probiotics amid rapid market growth.

“The probiotic market has been growing at a rate significantly outpacing projections since 2020, and manufacturers are looking at ways to differentiate and compete in this growing market, including offering alternate methods of delivering probiotics to consumers,” says Badre Hammond, VP global commercial operations general manager APAC at Aptar CSP.

“We developed Avanti and Neo to give manufacturers more tools to deliver innovative strains in different formats so they can grow their business.”

Probiotics protection
Avanti is a novel technology for the probiotic mixology market. It integrates the company’s proprietary Activ-Polymer platform as an internal molded part inside a bottle cap, which contains dry powder probiotics. The cap separates the powder from the water until the user activates the cap with a push to disperse the powder into a traditional water bottle.The Avanti Cap with Activ-Polymer component and power.

The active material molded into the cap protects the probiotic powder against moisture and other environmental conditions that can impact potency and shelf life.

“This unique active packaging solution enables brands to ensure their probiotic products will meet potency claims,” Francois Bidet, VP business development EMEA at Aptar CSP, tells PackagingInsights.

“The most common formats for probiotics are capsules, tablets and powders. Our Activ-Polymer enables an optimal stability for probiotics strains by reducing the water activity to a very low level.”

Oil-based products
For oil-based probiotics, Aptar CSP will showcase its Neo technology, a “first of its kind” material science solution that is fully submerged in oil to create a customized microclimate to adsorb latent moisture.

This innovation builds on the company’s Activ-Film technology, which has been a marketed solution for oil-based probiotics for more than ten years. Delivered as a small sphere molded from a unique Activ-Polymer formulation, Neo offers increased moisture absorption capacity relative to the Activ-Film solution and can help mix the ingredients upon shaking.

This solution ensures optimal probiotic stability without impacting user experience. 

Bidet adds: “At Vitafoods, we expect to see new probiotics formulations with more complex and sensitive ingredients and new formats to ease patients’ administration. Our solutions will contribute to deliver the appropriate and efficient doses to ensure that patient health will benefit from these innovative products.”

Also at the show, Billy Abrams, SVP business development at Aptar CSP, will give a presentation titled “Optimizing Probiotic Formulations: Use of Active Packaging to Minimize Overages, Reduce Costs, and Improve Margins” on May 10.

Probiotics proliferation
Consumer demand for probiotics is expanding amid growing evidence of the physical and mental health benefits.

In light of a growing body of research and development into probiotics due to consumer demand for improved gut health, Gnosis by Lesaffre recently expanded its LifeinU L. Rhamnosus GG Range of probiotics with a new specification.

Meanwhile, IFF launched probiotic solutions for gut health and beauty-from-within, as consumer awareness of digestive health and nutricosmetics continues to grow.

By Joshua Poole