Cambridge Commodities expands into sustainable softgels

18 Aug 2020 --- Ingredient supplier Cambridge Commodities is expanding its offerings to include premium softgel formulations that cater for a wide range of consumer needs. Investing in its softgel portfolio, the company has partnered with a “market-leading” softgel manufacturer, which allows it to offer high quality softgels in a crowded marketplace. This is especially important as the market is growing and continues to evolve in both product formats and ingredients, the company says. Sourcing directly and exclusively from a state-of-the-art facility, Cambridge Commodities says it is now able to respond quickly and flexibly to changing customer demand.

“The body is able to absorb liquids faster than it can break down tablets so softgels provide a convenient solution. Many tablets (both coated and uncoated) can have an unpleasant taste when swallowed, whereas softgels do not,” Cressida Cable, Head of Product Development at Cambridge Commodities, tells NutritionInsight.

“There are also numerous nutrients and active ingredients, – evening primrose oil, for example – that cannot be formulated into a tablet. In these cases, a softgel will always be able to provide something a tablet can’t. Traditionally, the shelf life of a softgel exceeds that of a tablet and the shells prevent rapid degradation of the ingredients so this provides a benefit to both B2B and B2C,” she adds.

The company seeks to offer high quality softgels in an already crowded marketplace.

Cable explains that along with its manufacturing partner, the company vets every supplier thoroughly and verifies its certification to ensure that the raw materials to be used are sustainably sourced. “We only source fish oil from suppliers approved by Friend of The Sea, an organization committed to certifying that all seafood is sourced from sustainable fisheries and sustainable aquaculture,” she affirms.

Sustainability considerations
In addition, she notes that any palm oil or palm oil derivative used within the company’s softgels comes from a Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certified source. “Traditionally, the market places a premium price on products that contain RSPO-certified glycerin, but we deliver this standard across our entire range.”

Cable says the company vets every supplier thoroughly to ensure that the raw materials to be used are sustainably sourced.Cable highlights that the softgels’ gelatine shells contain glycerine, which is a derivative from palm oil. Subsequently, RSPO certification is an assurance to the consumer that the standard of production is sustainable, something that has become very important for the modern consumer. The most popular softgels are of various strengths of fish oil, and thus ensuring the fish sourced comes from sustainable aquaculture and fisheries is crucial, she notes.

All of Cambridge Commodities’ softgels are manufactured in a SEDEX approved facility that is Good manufacturing practices (GMP), British Retail Consortium (BRC), ISO 22000 and Hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) certified.

Cable has been working on creating innovative and in-demand softgels while ensuring the efficacy of their softgels is supported, where applicable, by a permitted label claim in accordance with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)’s regulations.

“As ethical trading is one of Cambridge Commodities’ core values, we seek to bring our new sustainably sourced softgels range to market to meet the increasing consumer demand. Supporting our customers’ growth is at the heart of our business and our extensive warehouse capacity and ability to offer low Minimum Order Quantities (MOQ) of multiple softgel formulations strengthens our position as a supply partner,” Cable says.

Recently, the company also launched a new probiotic strain called ActiBio BS01, responding to the growing trend for food fortification with probiotics. The latest strain from the ActiBio shelf-stable live cultures range contains Bacillus subtilis, a spore-forming, lactic acid-producing bacteria that is stable throughout a wide range of temperatures and extreme acidic conditions. This is particularly advantageous for food applications, considering commonly used probiotics in food with lactic acid-producing bacteria are generally limited in application range due to their low tolerance to heat and acid.

By Kristiana Lalou