Roquette simplifies plant-based softgel capsule formulation with Lycagel Premix

10 Nov 2021 --- Roquette has unveiled Lycagel Premix, a ready-to-use, pharmaceutical grade solution for vegetarian softgel capsule formulation. The powder blend is marketed as an easy-to-use and convenient solution that ensures fast and reproducible scale-up for both nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.

“Accessing the right quantities of raw materials is not always straightforward,” notes Paul Smaltz, vice president of Roquette Pharmaceutical Solutions.

Therefore, Lycagel Premix eliminates the need for manufacturers to manage multiple raw material inventory and simplifies processes, such as handling and storage.

“It also streamlines manufacturing through the simple addition of water and glycerol to the powder,” Smaltz adds.

Eliminating dosing steps
Lycagel Premix is already available and sold as a complete, plant-based powder that eliminates dosing steps.

“Available as a drop-in solution for customers’ existing systems, it is now easy for manufacturers to adopt the premix into current manufacturing set-ups without requiring re-tooling of the line,” says Smaltz. 

This eliminates the need for dosing of individual ingredients while also minimizing the risk of variability and probability of production failure.Lycagel Premix is sold as a complete, plant-based powder that eliminates dosing steps.

Challenging gelatin as the “gold standard”
The new offering is based on the company’s pea starch technology – called Lycagel – which launched last year.

This enables capsule characteristics comparable to gelatin softgels.

These include good capsule strength, seal integrity, quick drying time with no stickiness, fast disintegration and improved performance thanks to high thermal and chemical stability. 

At the time of Lycagel’s launch, Steve Amoussou-Guenou, innovation project leader of pharma at Roquette, told NutritionInsight that gelatin is currently the gold standard for softgel capsules in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical markets. 

“However, gelatin is animal-derived and has incompatibility issues with fill ingredients that can shorten softgel shelf life.” 

Targeting clean label positionings
Lycagel meets EU and US pharmacopeia standards and can accommodate a range of active fills, opening up a world of possibilities for innovative nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.

The premix also allows the use of trending claims, including halal, kosher, non-GMO and clean label. 

Last month, exhibitors at Anuga 2021 shared how halal certifications are offering wider sales possibilities for clean label and vegan products. 

According to Innova Market Insights, 85% of consumers say that product information is of major importance, and they want to know what the product contains. This is spurring demand for short lists of understandable ingredients, even within nutraceuticals. 

Other businesses are also branching into the vegan soft capsule arena. For example, Aenova recently added chewable omega 3 variants to its range. 

Edited by Katherine Durrell