Extraction breakthrough: BASF and Mazza Innovation partner on plant extract technology

06 Jul 2018 --- BASF and Mazza Innovation have signed an exclusive, long-term supply agreement under which the Canadian botanical extraction company will provide BASF with specific plant extracts to develop new solutions for cosmetic applications. Mazza Innovation produces the plant extracts through the use of its patented PhytoClean technology. This water-based extraction method concentrates bio-actives in an eco-friendly way for use in foods and beverages, supplements and personal care products.

Mazza Innovation’s pressurized water extraction process eliminates the need for chemical solvents in extraction. Chemical solvents – ethanol, methanol, acetone and ethyl acetate, among others – are commonly used to extract valuable ingredients from botanical plant sources.

By applying only pressure and heat to lower the polarity of water, so that it performs like a chemical solvent, the PhytoClean process is able to deliver solvent-free, clean label botanical extracts, while eliminating the safety and cost issues involved in handling dangerous chemical solvents. This breakthrough is claimed to prevent any contamination of the final ingredients with solvent residues. It therefore puts an end to the need for the safe environmental disposal of contaminated waste material. 

“The PhytoClean Method is an environmentally sound way to produce standardized bio-active ingredients from plant biomass. By changing the polarity of water using temperature and pressure, the PhytoClean method avoids the use of conventional extraction solvents. We gain access to such phytochemicals as phenolic compounds, polysaccharides and glycosides – all of which contribute to the biological activity of the plant extract,” says Benjamin Lightburn, CEO of Mazza Innovation.

For BASF, the partnership is a continuation of a strong tradition in plant extraction technologies. “For more than 50 years, our scientific experts have been working at the forefront of plant extraction technologies, constantly assessing new developments in this field, with the aim of improving both the sustainability of the process and the precision of the extraction, targeting key molecules at the heart of plant materials,” says David Hérault, Director of Research & Development at BASF Beauty Creations. 

“The partnership with Mazza enables us to further expand our range of innovative active ingredients and to continuously support our customers to meet the growing consumer demand for effective and naturally-derived products,” he adds.

An initial launch can be expected in 2019, but specific details are not being disclosed at this stage, Philippe Moussou, R&D Project Management at BASF Beauty Creations tells NutritionInsight, adding that further avenues for R&D include the use of the technology for additional new high performing natural products. 

With this collaboration, BASF is seeking to further strengthen its innovative range of plant-derived active ingredients. New extraction processes are an important means of exploring novel high-performance plant-based solutions in areas such as anti-aging actives, facilitated by bringing together interdisciplinary know-how from within BASF as well as from external partners.

By Lucy Gunn