IFF, a manufacturer of functional ingredients, excipients and flavors for dietary supplements, pharmaceutical products, and biotechnology, announced the launch of a pectin-based technology, a further expansion of its vegan softgel offering. The introduction of VERDIGEL™ SC enables manufacturers of vegan softgels to offer carrageenan-free products, which are in high demand in several markets.
Consumer preference for vegan supplements is driving producers to meet this growing demand. Softgels are gaining popularity and becoming a format of choice in the nutraceutical and supplement sectors, but they present several manufacturing challenges, including strength and stability–particularly with increasingly complex and sensitive active ingredients.
VERDIGEL™ SC is a ready-to-use pectin-based premix, requiring only the addition of water and a plasticizer to produce high-performance softgels. It is designed for easy implementation and efficient use, suitable for a wide range of formulations, and maintains the same processability and stability as other vegan and animal-based softgel approaches. Besides processing benefits, the premix provides some labeling advantages, since it is vegan, halal, kosher, non-GMO, and contains no gluten, allergens or preservatives.