Company insight
The winning formula to solve vitamin K2 stability challenges
Those looking to innovate with vitamin K2 should beware, for not all K2 ingredients are the same. When it comes to formulation, stability is key to achieve bioavailability and maximum efficacy in the body. To learn how brands can navigate the vitamin K2 market, Ingredients Insight speaks to the experts at Kappa Bioscience.
he global market for vitamin K2 has seen significant growth in these last few years, with a growing body of scientific studies showing the important role it plays in supporting healthy bones and hearts. However, vitamin K2 is highly sensitive by nature and maintaining its stability is essential to achieving bioavailability and maximum efficiency in the body. If left unprotected under certain conditions or blended formulations, it quickly degrades. Thies Ripcke, director business development and strategic marketing at Kappa Bioscience (now a Balchem company), explains how his company helps brands overcome this challenge.
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The big issue: stability To better understand the scale of the K2 stability issue, Ripcke shares his insights on Balchem’s latest market studies: “In 2016, we discovered an important stability issue in the market. We tested over 267 consumer products of different formats and formulations and [found] only 16% of them contained at least 90% of the vitamin K2 amount claimed on the label, with many containing no vitamin K2 at all. “Today, there’s a greater awareness across the industry about the importance of protecting K2 stability in finished dosage formats, but there are still many products on the market that don’t meet the label claims. We’ve recently partnered with a third-party lab to assess 38 K2 supplements for MK-7 content and isometric purity.
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Results revealed that only 29% of these products met both standards, while 71% fell short in either MK-7 content or isometric purity. “Maintaining the right environment for vitamin K2 is key, so exposure to oxygen and light, as well as pH values, should be closely monitored and controlled during the manufacturing process for the final product. Ingredient interactions can also impact stability – when used in combination with krill oil or certain minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, unprotected vitamin K2 will break down. This poses a challenge for manufacturers looking to develop multivitamins and blended supplements, like vitamin K2 and calcium or magnesium – important combinations required to support bone and cardiovascular health.”
Mastering the art of vitamin K2 formulation Ripcke shares what Balchem has done to overcome this issue to ensure its users get the most out of vitamin K2: “Last year, Balchem acquired the market leading vitamin K2 producer, Kappa Bioscience. This has enabled Balchem to bolster its human nutrition and health portfolio with Kappa’s cutting-edge ingredient K2VITAL DELTA – the first all-trans vitamin K2 MK-7 solution to be microencapsulated in special double- coated beadlets. What does this mean? That it has superior stability in most environments. In fact, K2VITAL DELTA is the only patented preparation to
preserve K2 in combination with calcium, magnesium and other minerals.”
Tried, tested and trusted The advantages offered by K2VITAL DELTA are also backed by a growing body of scientific studies. “Research has shown that K2VITAL DELTA has superior stability in combination with calcium, L-arginine and magnesium, compared to unprotected vitamin K2. Results demonstrated that after three months, only 8% of unprotected vitamin K2-plus-minerals products met or were close to label claim, versus 100% of all K2VITAL DELTA solutions. A number of new in-house studies have also confirmed the stability of K2VITAL DELTA in final applications, such as UHT, dairy and plant-based drinks, gummies, cereal bars and fortified dairy powders,” Ripcke explains. In line with the company’s commitment to final consumers, Balchem is now launching a campaign that aims to increase awareness about vitamin K2 quality and enhance transparency in the supplement market. The company is also exploring the synergies among K2VITAL and the other integrated branded ingredients in Balchem’s HNH portfolio – including VitaCholine, Albion Minerals and OptiMSM – unlocking new opportunities for innovative formulations. Want to hear more about formulating with vitamin K2? Contact the experts to learn more about the K2VITAL range. ●
www.kappabio.com Ingredients Insight /
www.ingredients-insight.com
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