According to the company, it is a highly stable, vegetarian, sustainable beadlet line, manufactured in the United States via an advanced process, and will complement LycoRed’s core encapsulation technologies of applied gelatin, alginate and spray-dried coating systems.
Beverage and supplement manufacturers are facing significant obstacles when using tablet-grade carotenoids, since these lipid-soluble compounds are highly unstable and oxidize very easily, the company said.
“With this new technology, we have succeeded in formulating beadlets that are exceptionally stable, protecting the carotenoids and vitamins from oxidation,” said Dorit Rozner, R & D manager for LycoRed. “The beadlets also are formulated in a unique way that will not allow leakage following direct compression—a common problem associated with substandard coating systems. The starch beadlets are designed for use in dry-blend beverages, as the coating is remarkably water soluble.”
The starch beadlets are initially available for the carotenoids lycopene, beta-carotene, and lutein, and also for vitamin D and vitamin A-acetate.
The main advantages of these beadlet formulations are said to be that they are highly soluble and highly stable; they are extremely easy to use both for dry-blend beverage mixes and effervescent tablets, as well as hard shell capsules.
“These free-flowing, gelatin-free starch beadlets make use of our solvent-free manufacturing process,” added Rozner. “LycoRed continues to do its best to make sure its production process is sustainable and eco-friendly, while ensuring customers always receive only the highest quality ingredients possible.”
According to LycoRed, the future of carotenoids lies in the synergistic effects of combination formulations. LycoRed’s researchers have worked on multiple models combining lutein, lycopene, beta-carotene and carnosic acid and monitor their anti-inflammation effects.
By itself, said the company,lutein has little anti-inflammatory benefit. “But, when combining lutein with lycopene, several markers for anti-inflammation are significantly impacted,” said Rozner.
LycoRed natural carotenoids and vitamin beadlets have several certifications, including NSF; kosher by OU; and halal by IFANCA. They are certified vegetarian and vegan.