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MIXING EQUIPMENT
HIGH SHEAR MIXING FOR CBD OIL BASED FOOD AND BEVERAGES
Silverson explains how its high shear mixers are able to overcome the challenges associated with processing CBD oil products
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), so there is no ‘high’ from it.
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In the emerging CBD or “hemp-derived cannabidiol” market, new product development of food and beverages is progressing at a brisk pace. But amidst all this new product development, there are a number of production challenges that manufacturers are facing when incorporating CBD oils into their products.
CBD oil, as the name suggests, is mostly supplied in liquid, oil form and depending on the concentration can be highly viscous, making it difficult to blend with water or low viscosity oils such as vegetable or coconut oils. With a conventional agitator, the higher viscosity liquid tends to form globules which don’t readily blend with the lower viscosity liquid – this is called “stratification” because often layers of unmixed liquids form. This affects the quality and repeatability between batches of the product. So it is important that the mixing equipment used can effectively blend liquids of different viscosities to ensure the best quality. It is also important that the mixer can reduce the droplet size of the oil and the base liquid it is being incorporated into. This is required to obtain stability in emulsions, and if droplet size is not reduced sufficiently the oil can appear cloudy rather than clear in certain products, such as beverages and gummies, again affecting the product quality.
annabidiol oil, or CBD oil, is derived from cannabis, but it contains none of the psychoactive ingredient
When sourcing mixing equipment for CBD oil incorporation it is also important to consider functional ingredients in the formulation, such as gelling and stabilising agents. These ingredients can be difficult to disperse and hydrate, often forming agglomerates when added to liquid. Conventional mixers cannot readily disperse these agglomerates as they do not impart the shear necessary to break them down, rather they rely on long mixing times to slowly hydrate powdered ingredients. This is often followed by a filtration stage to remove the unhydrated ingredients, further adding to processing times and affecting batch consistency and uniformity. As mentioned above, the mixing equipment needs to be efficient and provide consistent results because CBD oil products are potency tested to ensure the amount of CBD oil incorporated is within specification. The batch- to-batch consistency achieved with a high shear mixer is advantageous where declared CBD potency levels need to be maintained. Silverson have provided mixing solutions to hundreds of customers in the US and around the world for this application. Our high shear mixers are increasingly being used for R&D and small scale production in this emerging market due to their versatility and their ability to overcome the mixing challenges outlined above. The entire Silverson product range is able to create stable emulsions in beverages, reduce droplet size for clear gummy sweets, effectively incorporate powdered ingredients into a mix for use in baked goods, and batch- to-batch consistency is guaranteed.
As all Silverson high shear mixers are built to the same fine tolerances, results achieved in the laboratory can easily be scaled up to production scale equivalents
How is a Silverson mixer able to do this? The high speed rotation of the rotor blades creates a powerful suction which draws liquids and any solid or powdered ingredients into the workhead, where the materials are subjected to intense shear. Any agglomerates that may have formed are broken down in the gap between the rotor and stator. The product is then forced out through the stator as fresh material is drawn in. Particle size is progressively reduced as the mixture is passed through the workhead many times, producing a stable and homogeneous emulsion.
The positive mixing of a Silverson high shear mixer - from lab scale to production models - can overcome the challenges which arise when incorporating CBD oil. With the use of interchangeable workheads, the mixers can be used for number of other mixing tasks such as forming emulsions, particle disintegration, powder/liquid mixing and blending liquid of varying viscosities to name a few. As all Silverson high shear mixers are built to the same fine tolerances, results achieved in the laboratory can easily be scaled up to production scale equivalents. This allows customers to expand quickly to keep up with customer demand and business growth without having to re-formulate or re-design their process.
Silverson Laboratory high shear mixers are suitable for batch sizes of up to 12 litres and have several instrumentation options including tachometers and ammeters. For pilot scale batches of up to 50 litres (depending on viscosity), the Silverson AX series is ideal.
For production scale mixing, Silverson Batch mixers are suitable for batches up to 1000 litres. They can be used on mobile floor stands, so one mixer can easily be moved between vessels and used for several products. For more information read the CBD application and watch the CBD 'how to' video on the Silverson website.
Silverson Machines E:
sales@silverson.co.uk www.silverson.co.uk
36 JULY/AUGUST 2023 | PROCESS & CONTROL
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