Formulas For Success is a monthly educational series from our leading formulation experts that covers the basics and fundamentals of trends in product formulation. Each time we’ll be featuring an emerging ingredient or combination of ingredients and sharing the key tips you’ll need to discover your own formula for success.
In our last edition, we illustrated how to achieve sugar reduction in bars using our original formula for a granola crisp bar as an example. Although the formula showcased a variety of sweetening solutions, it can also serve as a great demonstration of how to boost the health and nutritional value of food & snack products with the functional ingredient Vitamin E.
What Are The Benefits of Vitamin E?
Vitamin E is a nutrient that’s important to vision, reproduction, and the health of your blood, brain, and skin. The key to these benefits of Vitamin E is its powerful antioxidant properties. The process of oxidation and accelerated aging takes place in our bodies when cells are exposed to molecules called free radicals. Although free radicals form as a result of normal body processes, they can weaken and break down healthy cells. These molecules cause damage that shortens the life of our cells and may contribute to heart disease and cancer. The antioxidant Vitamin E may help reduce free radical damage and slow the aging process of cells. To take advantage of these benefits, the recommended daily dosage of vitamin E for adults is 15 milligrams a day.
Crystal E® Natural Vitamin E Powder
As a part of Nascent’s portfolio of health supplements and cellular nutrition ingredients, Crystal E® Vitamin E Powder is our brand of natural Vitamin E for manufacturers of food & nutrition products. Crystal E® is stable, readily bio-available, has good flowability, and preserves vitamin E’s original form as α-tocopherol (based on the FDA’s updates to the new supplement facts panel in the US, Vitamin E is now required to be labeled as α-tocopherol).
Crystal E® is co-crystallized to a stable, crystalline powder without any chemical modifications or an encapsulation process. It is available in its original form from a natural source (d-α-tocopherol ) by way of our patented production process. The current acetate form produced by esterification destroys its natural properties, making it less bio-available and reduces its antioxidant capabilities. Microencapsulation typically uses gelatin, an animal-based ingredient, but a plant-based starch form is also available at a higher cost.
Typical Vitamin E oil decomposes by roughly 22% over 4 weeks when stored at an accelerated temperature of 60˚C, whereas our co-crystalized product stays stable. Crystal E® was also shown to be much more stable when mixed with minerals or exposed to light. Minerals typically accelerate the decomposition of vitamins.
In a tablet or pill application, Crystal E® only needs 26% of the mass compared to synthetic α-tocopherol acetate powder (50%) due to its higher concentration of α-tocopherol. The higher concentration also has environmental and sustainability benefits because it doesn’t consume acetate anhydrate or silicone dioxide in the production process, and generates savings on packaging, shipping, storage, and production equipment costs.
Comparing the Cost of Crystal E® vs. Other Commercial Vitamin E Products
Here is a general cost comparison to the most common Vitamin E types on the market, including natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic forms of Vitamin E.
| Type | Product Name | Form | % of D-a Tocopherol | 1.0kg D-a-TE | Cost per kg | Cost for D-a-TE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pure Natural | D-α-tocopherol | Unstable Oil | 100% | 1 | $95 per kg | $0.095 per gram |
| Pure Natural | Natural Crystal E® | Powder | 85% | 1.18 | $110 per kg | $0.129 per gram |
| Semi-Synthetic | D-α-tocopherol acetate | Powder | 45% | 2.22 | $60 per kg | $0.133 per gram |
| Semi-Synthetic | D-α-tocopherol succinate | Powder | 81% | 1.23 | $70 per kg | $0.086 per gram |
| Synthetic | Vitamin E 50% Starch-based, No SiO2 or gelatin | Powder | 22% | 4.55 | $30 per kg | $0.135 per gram |
| Synthetic | Vitamin E 50% SiO2-based | Powder | 22% | 4.55 | $33 per kg | $0.148 per gram |
| Synthetic | Vitamin E 50% Gelatin based (animal sourced with Al SiO2) | Powder | 22% | 4.55 | $11 per kg | $0.05 per gram |
For a 90 count 15mg dosage product, the cost of Natural Crystal E® equates to $0.17 per bottle.
Ready to create your own formula for success? If you’re interested in learning more about formulating with Crystal E® Vitamin E Powder, contact one of our expert consultants for your product development and formulation needs!