No complicated treatments: Socati’s microencapsulation technology targets clean flavor profiles for hemp extract products

15 Oct 2019 --- Pinpointing a palatable flavor profile has long been a prominent formulation challenge for makers of products containing hemp extracts. Targeting this need, Socati Corp. is integrating advanced microencapsulation technology from the food and beverage spaces into applications within the hemp-derived ingredients market. The US producer of tetrahydrocannabinol-free (THC) full spectrum hemp extracts has debuted a line of flavorless water soluble ingredients aimed at enabling manufacturers to incorporate hemp-derived cannabinoids into their products without the need for emulsifiers, surfactants, additional flavoring agents or other “complicated treatments.”

“We are seeing substantial month over month retail expansion of the sector. Cannabidiol [CBD] products are growing in shelf space at traditional retail and consumers are learning more about their benefits. Customers are seeking more transparency on where their products are grown, how they are extracted and precise laboratory measurements of its contents,” a spokesperson for Socati tells NutritionInsight.

“Incorporating cannabinoids into beverages, food and topicals without altering flavor or texture of finished products has been a significant problem faced by the industry which, up to now, hasn’t had a viable, commercial solution,” adds Josh Epstein, CEO of Socati. 

“Through leveraging some of the most advanced technologies in the food and beverage industry, our new ingredient offers the precision that manufacturers require to satisfy the rapidly growing consumer demand for products containing CBD and other cannabinoids,” he explains.

Socati’s water soluble product.Socati’s “fully customizable” product technology offers manufacturers the ability to incorporate natural hemp-based ingredients broad spectrum oil and water soluble powder with specific cannabinoid profiles to meet the increasing consumer demand for personalized products. The company’s microencapsulation technology helps make unique formulations possible, while delivering “flavor and texture profiles unmatched by current offerings.” The product line’s capabilities include the integration of natural antioxidants and antimicrobials to extend shelf life, flavor solutions for product development, and other functional ingredients such as vitamins. For example, Socati is currently formulating a custom solution for a client containing vitamin B12, specific levels of cannabigerol (CBG) and CBD, and a distinct fruit flavor for functionality testing.

“We can customize the percentage of CBD and CBG to our customer’s liking. Our standard product is either a 2 or 4 percent CBG rich solution as part of a total 80 percent cannabinoids solution [for example: 80 percent CBD + 2 to 4 pecent CBG],” notes the spokesperson.

Like all of Socati’s ingredients, this water soluble product uses proprietary chromatographic processes to ensure all of the CBD and other desirable compounds found in hemp remain in the finished product, while THC levels are far below most commercial labs’ ability to detect.

Socati has raised US$42 million in private capital since late 2018, enabling it to deliver significant advancements in hemp-derived ingredients. The company is headquartered in Austin, Texas, US, has an R&D genetics and seed facility in Woodburn, Oregon, and a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certified processing and manufacturing facility in Missoula, Montana.

Socati announced that it will debut its most advanced water soluble ingredients at the upcoming SupplySide West, held in Las Vegas, US, on October 15-19.

Rising popularity of hemp-based offeringsHemp is proliferating across food and beverage applications.
Hemp extract food and beverage products are enjoying ample time in the industry spotlight this year. Players of different backgrounds have been drawn towards the emergent space, which now spans food and beverage, pharmaceutical and personal care sectors.

Innova Market Insights reports 34 percent average annual growth in the number of new food and beverage launches with hemp ingredients (global, 2013 to 2017), with US introductions enjoying an average annual growth of 21 percent over this period amid a friendlier regulatory environment. The market researcher pegs Cereal & Energy Bars (24 percent average annual growth) as the top growing sub-category of new US food and beverage launches containing hemp in 2013 to 2017.

The CBD space is particularly ripe with innovative NPD, despite regulatory hurdles still prevalent in many markets. On the showfloor of Anuga 2019, held in Cologne, Germany last week, Dutch start-up Tranz showcased how it bypassed EU regulations on CBD-infused beverages to debut its potentially disruptive drink.

In July, Good Day, a US-based premium beverage brand, debuted a line of CBD-infused beverages with the offering of keeping consumers “balanced throughout every part of the day.” The brand’s product is made with a blend of fairtrade organic coffee sourced from farms in Guatemala, Nicaragua and Colombia. Each can is marketed as containing clean and minimal ingredients, including reverse-osmosis and ultraviolet-filtered water, and 15mg of hemp-extracted CBD sourced from Farm Bill Registered farms in Colorado, US.

Last June, NutritionInsight spoke to companies behind the International Cannabinoid Analysis Program (ICAP), a new third-party certification program for manufacturers and brands in the hemp and CBD products market. ICAP tests cannabis, hemp and their extracts or derivative products with appropriate methods to ensure they contain less than 0.20 percent THC – the legal US limit laid out in the December 2018 Farm Bill. The limit is also in alignment with the European regulations.

By Benjamin Ferrer