Powdered dietary supplements and nutritional products have been around for years, but you might not realize they represent the largest share of the dietary supplement market. And Vitaquest’s nutraceutical formulation design experts see a bright future for innovating with this versatile delivery system. Whether it’s a sports nutrition packed with protein or an effervescent supplement that delights the senses, Vitaquest is well-versed in the design and manufacturing of these products and recently acquired a new facility in Paterson, NJ, that allows us to provide particle engineering services for powders, capsules, and tablets.
The Challenge of Powdered Dietary Supplements
Vitaquest’s Assistant Vice President for Powder Product Development, Michael Bengivenga has spent the past thirty-some years partnering with supplement clients who seek powdered formats to overcome their consumer’s capsule and tablet fatigue. Michael works with a diverse team whose range of experiences helps them tackle the biggest challenge faced by powders: taste.
According to Michael, most of the time his team is working to overcome bitterness or some other adverse taste aspect of various functional ingredients. But they are also mindful of the product’s total taste profile which means they’ve become well-versed in mouthfeel manipulation and overall taste profile development. One of the mantras Michael uses with his team is to try the unexpected and see where it takes you. By tapping the resources of flavor and ingredient suppliers, Michael’s team has creative license to concoct delicious solutions that delight consumers.
The Future of Powder
For future innovations, Vitaquest sees a wealth of opportunity in new supplement packaging types for powdered delivery systems. Matching powders with those new packages is another of the challenges Michael’s team takes on. For example, when working with a stick pack package, the powder must have the right consistency to flow through the blending and packing equipment so that each stick pack has the correct amount of product and still dissolves easily when used. Because Vitaquest has invested in manufacturing assets and engineering expertise to maximize those assets, Vitaquest can design a powdered delivery format with the right consistency without expensive scale-up reformulation.
Vitaquest’s dedication to “Delivering What’s Next” for supplements and nutraceuticals including those with powdered formats, means that Michael and his team stand ready to work with customers who are looking to maximize the potential of this versatile delivery format.
