Using its patented nanotechnology, Capsoil Food Tech has developed a unique, water-soluble vitamin D powder which is touted as “unlike anything else on the market.” The powder can be added to milk for more even distribution and longer shelf life, without the use of stabilizers such as carrageenan.

Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Capsoil’s scientific director Dr. Itay Shafat, confirms the composition of Capsoil Food Tech’s powder is “very different and uses a completely different technology, so we do not need stabilizers.”

Demand for vitamin D
Moreover, the company’s technology “solves the distribution of the vitamin D in the product, which is another existing problem for the industry,” according to Shafat. 

He notes that most companies who add vitamin D use a diluted powder containing only 0.01% vitamin D. “Stabilizers like carrageenan make up the rest of this powder, as well as other ingredients that are not included on the label due to the regulatory allowance.”

The market has seen a considerable spike in the launches of functional beverages. Notably, vitamin D is an essential factor for the health of bones. In the last few years, several studies have highlighted another benefit of the vitamin: it has a positive effect on the immune system. 

“Immune products have boomed in the last few years, so the demand for vitamin D, which was always high, has grown even more,” underscores Shafat. 

Milk formulations in the spotlight
Capsoil Food Tech conducted a study with High-Temperature Short-Time (HTST) pasteurized 3% fat milk mixed with Capsoil’s vitamin D powder using a low-energy mixer and with no stabilizers added. 

The bottle was divided into three segments which were analyzed separately to demonstrate that Capsoil’s vitamin D is distributed evenly throughout the bottle and in a stable manner. Vitamin D concentration was analyzed on day 1 and day 14 and found identical average concentrations with good stability of vitamin D in the milk during the shelf life.

The company concluded that with Capsoil Food Tech’s oil-to-powder vitamin D, no stabilizer is needed, allowing up to a 30% oil load. 

Moreover, Capsoil’s vitamin D powder offers the following key benefits:

• High load of oil in powder for more potency 
• Self-emulsifying nano-emulsion leading to water-solubility
• Better bioavailability
• Clean production process – no use of solvents or heat allows the starting material to maintain nutrient content 
• A vegan option also exists

According to Shafat, milk is only one example of how vitamin D can be added. 

“We’ve also demonstrated that adding vitamin D to iced tea is possible, with at least one year of stability. Depending on the regulatory allowance, we can add this powder to any beverage. Juices, milk alternatives, vitamin water and many more can benefit from adding our powders,” he elaborates. 

“We can convert any oil soluble vitamin (on top of vitamin D, also vitamins A, E and K), MCT (medium-chain triglycerides, used by ketogenic diet followers, as well as athletes), hops oil (beer flavor) and any oil into a water-soluble powder.”

Technology for functional ingredient development 
The market has seen a considerable spike in the launch of functional beverages – beverages that not only quench the consumer’s thirst but also positively impact their body or mind, reveals Shafat. Capsoil powders are water soluble and dissolve easily in hot beverages.

“Our technology allows brands to incorporate oils and vitamins they could not use in the past,” he comments. “Any beverage: juice, dairy or dairy alternative, coffee or tea, can add our powders and easily become ‘functional’ and differentiated.”

Furthermore, Capsoil’s powders are water-soluble, so they will dissolve easily when making coffee, and the food tech company has a specific variant of the technology for tea makers. 

Meanwhile, Shafat explains how the powder technology was developed a few years ago to increase the bioavailability of oils like cannabis oil. “After proving this benefit, Capsoil increased the use for many other oils, showing that any oil or oil soluble material can benefit from our technology,” he outlines. 

Commenting on the biggest challenges in development, creating ingredients without the use of stabilizers was difficult. “Stabilizers are needed to prevent the separation of oils in watery matrices. We use a different technology, creating a stable and homogenous emulsion,” he says.

This powder technology is “only the beginning” for Capsoil – Shafat maintains there is “much more to come from the company and its technological advancements.”