Algalif and Divi’s Nutraceuticals team up for astaxanthin beadlets launch

03 May 2022 --- Iceland-based astaxanthin producer Algalif and vitamins manufacturer and supplier Divi’s Nutraceuticals have partnered to launch high-concentration astaxanthin beadlets, AstaBeads.

The item taps into the growing trend of natural, sustainable ingredients for sports nutrition and healthy aging products, while the beadlet format is touted as delivering high bioavailability.

“Formulating an ingredient as beadlets has many advantages, especially over spray-dried products. To form a beadlet, the active ingredient is micro-encapsulated in a matrix, which is then coated with starch, ensuring excellent stability and bioavailability,” Heinz Niggli, Divi’s Nutraceuticals senior vice president, tells NutritionInsight.

Honing in on sound business
According to Niggli, the collaboration between the companies “makes sense for several reasons.” 

“Each in its category, Algalif for the active and Divi’s for the formulation, is a manufacturer that uses advanced technologies and offers high-quality products.”

The partnership seeks to leverage Algalif's role as a supplier of (environmentally) sustainable, natural astaxanthin products from microalgae, with Divi's specialization in state-of-the-art formulation of carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins.

The item can be formulated in powder form for beverages.Form follows function
AstaBead comes in two formulations. The first is suitable for the production of tablets by direct compression, without oil extrusion or discoloration, and can also be used in hard-gelatin capsules and nutritional bars.

The second form is touted as a fast-dispersing astaxanthin, suitable for fortified powdered beverages, packaged in canisters or in popular sticks and disperser caps.

New delivery formats are shaking up the nutraceutical industry with innovations in gummies, soft gels and capsules.

Honing in on astaxanthin benefits
AstaBead is sourced in an environmentally sustainable manner from natural microalgae, Divi’s notes, underscoring that natural astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant. It belongs to the carotenoid family called xanthophylls and is a red pigment found in algae, yeast, bacteria and fungi.

Astaxanthin’s science-backed health benefits include the protection of the cells from free radicals and oxidative stress, reducing inflammation and supporting cognitive health.

Astaxanthin can be found in such foods as salmon and other seafood with a red to pink hue. However, to experience its health benefits fully, larger doses are needed, which has driven the development of astaxanthin supplementation and food fortification, according to Divis.

In 2020 Algalif secured a US$30 million investment to become the biggest astaxanthin producer globally.

Algalif is not the only company tapping into the rise in total global demand for astaxanthin. This year the ingredients supplier BGG World and its subsidiary Algae Health Sciences doubled the size of their AstaZine natural astaxanthin farm in south-central China.

By Ilze Vitola