CPHI 2024 live: Roquette talks innovation trends and consumer demands

On the second day of the ongoing 2024 CPHI trade show in Milan, Italy, we meet up with Roquette’s technical development manager for Europe, Steve Amoussou-Guenou, to discuss the ingredients manufacturer’s recent acquisition of pharmaceutical capsules specialist company Qualicaps. Amoussou-Guenou also details the products Roquette is featuring at this year’s CPHI and the latest innovations, trends and consumer demands within the space.

“This year at CPHI, we are featuring some capsule products, including hard capsule shells and soft capsule shells used to make different kinds of dosages. We have also launched some cutting solutions. These are all plant-based, which is quite interesting for the nutraceutical market,” Amoussou-Guenou tells Nutrition Insight.

“We have a lot of different colors that we can use, including transparent. It’s needed for nutraceuticals,and for different brands and offers for the customers,” he continues. 

“Last year’s acquisition of Qualicaps was a great step for Roquette. The acquisition brought us a whole new group of colleagues and solutions that in turn helps us present an even wider range to the market, including excipients and capsules that are desirable by the nutraceuticals customers.” 

Ongoing innovation 

Discussing what is driving innovation at Roquette right now, Amoussou-Guenou asserts that it is listening to customers.

“We are coming up with plant-based soft gel capsules and solutions for the coating, which are now using some scientific polymers. All these are meeting the needs of the customers and helping them have cleaner labels.”

The “number one trend” he sees on the current nutraceuticals market is products “looking more and more like food.” 

“There is a growing trend of people taking gummies with vitamins, omega-3 and other types of nutrition. Dietary supplements that look more like food and less like drugs is one of the trends that we see on the market today.” 

Another trend he spots is that “people are trying to get closer to nature” by seeking plant-based products. 

“They are trying to turn away from synthetic solutions, such as synthetic origin polymers. Sustainability is a big trend as well, so if we can help customers meet their targets for more sustainable solutions with lower carbon footprints and closer production sites, for example, this is something we are targeting.”

Following the acquisition of Qualicaps, Roquette is working to deliver complimentary solutions.Consumer demands

Further speaking about the increasing interest in plant-based products, Amoussou-Guenou says that Roquette has “always been working on excipient plant-based solutions.”

“We have sustainability targets to offset our carbon footprint by 2025, so this is what we are doing to address our customers’ needs.”

Another trend he says the company is responding to is related to the natural source of products. 

“We want to stay ahead of consumer needs with more natural solutions, more appealing solutions, with gummies, soft gels and hard gels.”

He also notes the importance of developing smaller capsules for people with swallowing issues, “especially the elders and small kids.”

“We are trying to develop solutions to improve the ease of taking a dosage.”

Lastly, he points out that, for the company it is important, to have products that offer “good taste, good look” and he re-asserts clean labels as something that is “very important” for customers. 

“Halal, Kosher, plant-based are also things some consumers are looking for.”

Qualicaps acquisition

Last year, Roquette acquired Qualicaps with the aim to expand its international position in excipient production. 

“Roquette and Qualicaps now have a unified approach,” Amoussou-Guenou asserts. 

“We are bringing complimentary solutions. Before, we had some excipients that were used in different forms: tablets, gelatin capsules, soft gel, liquids and gummies as well. Now, together, we are bringing the best of both worlds to the nutraceutical market.”

Earlier this year, Roquette also announced its plans to acquire IFF Pharma Solutions. 

With live reporting by Jolanda van Hal at CPHI Milan, Italy