Xampla has launched a new plant-based microcapsule technology which protects vitamins within fortified drinks from sunlight.
The technology – which was funded by a £1m Innovate UK grant – wraps a microscopic droplet of vitamin oil in plant-based material to guard the vitamin from UV light, pH imbalance, and pasteurisation.
The digestible microcapsules are vegan and gluten-free, and can be used to package “any oil-based vitamin or flavouring”, including vitamins A, D, E and K.
They would allow brands to add vitamin-led health claims to a wide range of beverage products, including those shipped in clear liquids and clear bottles without affecting the taste of the product, Xampla claimed.
Previously, brands had “either relied on costly overage of vitamins and nutrients, accepting that the ingredients would deteriorate during the product’s lifetime, or simply would not add vitamins at all”, it added.
It comes after Xampla announced in February that it was partnering with soft drinks giant Britvic to develop the technology.
A recent Yonder survey of 4,000 UK adults commissioned by Xampla found that young people were “among the most concerned with health and wellbeing” with half of 18-35 year olds saying they did not get enough vitamin D in their diets, as opposed to just 25% of over 65s [August 2022].
Xampla CEO Simon Hombersley said the microcapsules offered “an opportunity for big beverage brands to get the vitamins people need directly to them inside everyday products”.
Young people and parents were “particularly concerned with the health and wellbeing properties of their products, particularly in the post-Covid context and as we approach the colder months”, said Hombersley.
The microcapsules provided “a much-needed, simple solution for brands to micro-package vitamin D safely in clear bottles, and the potential to micro-package a whole range of other nutrients in future”.
Xampla was “working with multi-nationals to bring this product to supermarket shelves”, Hombersley added.
The University of Cambridge-backed tech company last year trialled an “industry-first” edible stock cube wrapper through a tie-up with Gousto.
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