Pharmactive’s black garlic extract enters functional gummies market

16 Mar 2022 --- Pharmactive Biotech Products’ Aged Black Garlic+ (ABG+) is now suitable for galenic applications to meet the increasing demand for gummy formats.

“This is a new application for ABG+; it is the same ingredient that may be used in different galenic applications, with expertise applied to gummies, liquids, granulated powder, gels and bars,” Eva Criado, communication manager at Pharmactive Biotech Products, tells NutritionInsight.

The item is described as having a sweet, “social” flavor that is odor-free, making it ideal for functional gummies.

“Fresh garlic traditionally has been associated with reflux, pungent odor and bad breath. ABG+ is extracted in an odorless way, has no reflux and no bad breath associated with it, making it a ‘social’ supplement,” says Criado.

“It opens new opportunities to meet consumer demand for functional gummies and creates a new space for functional F&B.”

Regulations for red yeast reduction
ABG+ arrives when red yeast rice allowed in present formulations would be reduced to 3 mg from its current 10 mg, under upcoming European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and European Commission regulations.

Therefore, ABG+ has emerged as an appealing alternative to the limited red yeast rice.

“Now that the dosage of red rice yeast – which helps regulate cholesterol levels – is limited and losing its approved EFSA claims, product makers can combine it with ABG+ to help maintain blood pressure levels,” says Alberto Espinel, head of R&D for Pharmactive.S-allyl cysteine, the primary active ingredient in ABG+, is relatively stable, including during the gummy ingredient mixing stage.

“This makes it possible to design a final product that can support the mitigation of several risk factors to help maintain cardiovascular health. The Pharmactive team currently is working on several functional F&B applications that will be suitable for this ingredient.”

The active ingredient in red yeast rice is a category of compounds called monacolins, and monacolin K is one of these.

“EFSA evaluated monacolin K for consumer security; they have made an opinion to inform about the claims for monacolin K,” says Criado.

Gummy format motivation and formulation
Consumers are demanding formats different from traditional tablets and capsules.

“For this reason, we have tested satisfactorily ABG+ in gummy form and it melts well in pectine and gelatine gummies. In addition, new generations, especially Millennials and Generation Z, are demanding gummies since it is a format that is easier to consume and offers a sweet treat that benefits health.”

Echoing this demand, Innova Market Insights’ data shows that gummies accounted for one-quarter of all vitamin and mineral launches in the first eight months of 2021. Gummies have seen a double-digit increase in launches, with a CAGR of 16% from 2016 to 2020.

S-allyl cysteine (SAC), the primary active ingredient in ABG+, is relatively stable, allowing it to be included during the gummy ingredient mixing stage, just before setting.

This guarantees that each gummy contains precisely the right amount of the 250 mg daily dosage, according to the company. Different variants of ABG+ are available from Pharmactive to adapt to various formulations. ABG+10, ABG+10 organic and ABG+25+ are some of the concentrations and formats available.The item is described as having a sweet, “social” flavor that is odor-free, making it ideal for functional gummies. 

ABG+ has claims pending with the EFSA for cardiovascular health, cholesterol, immunology, and antioxidant qualities. ABG10+ has a low daily dose of 250 mg and can be combined with various substances in multiple formulations, particularly those that can give complementary mechanisms of action for the desired category, notes the company

The company also released a greater concentration version of its ABG+ aged black garlic extract, produced through its new ABG Cool-Tech technology.

Processing aged black garlic and its uses
Aged black garlic has long been regarded as a culinary delicacy, an important part of Asian cuisines and a health-promoting ingredient. It is traditionally made by aging complete bulbs of fresh garlic for several weeks at high humidity and low temperatures.

ABG+ is made from a particular garlic variety grown within two hours from Pharmactive’s factory and processed green technology. This process produces extremely little waste and has a very minimal environmental impact.

Pharmactive’s ABG+ was previously found to have the potential to help people with moderately high cholesterol control their blood pressure.

By Nicole Kerr