Label Friendly
April 26, 2021
Understanding Label Friendly
According to the Nutraceutical Business Review, one in three consumers are looking to avoid food or drink containing artificial ingredients. The demand for clean label products continues to increase with consumers wanting wholesome ingredients they can understand, know, and trust. For many consumers the term ‘label friendly’ means the elimination of a long chemical ingredient list and includes those familiar to consumers, naturally derived, minimally processed, and having sustainable ingredients. Consumers are demanding choices with more recognizable and pronounceable ingredients, natural over artificial, and non-GMO and BPA-free.
Recently, political and societal pressure has resulted in the suspension in Europe of the use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in foods, classed as E171 when used as a pigment. Although no functionally direct replacement exists for TiO2 when used as an opacifier or pigment, Colorcon has developed alternative film coating systems, without its use. Through extensive reformulation, Colorcon already provides Nutrafinish® Titanium Dioxide Free Film Coatings. These formulations are designed to address this concern and ensure consumer-friendly labelling through the elimination of TiO2.
Label Friendly Tablet Coatings for Nutritional Supplements
Expanding the Nutrafinish® Film Coatings portfolio, Colorcon now includes Label Friendly coating products for the nutritional and dietary supplements market. This coating range addresses the clean label movement as consumers demand “real” ingredients, with greater transparency, not only in foods but in nutraceutical and dietary supplement products.
With this most recent launch of Nutrafinish®, Label Friendly Coatings, Colorcon now provides best-in-class coatings to meet consumer needs for simple ingredients and a clean label. Color stability of non-synthetic colorants is significantly improved with formulations based on calcium carbonate as an opacifier. The inclusion of non-synthetic pigments provides consumer appeal and branding opportunities.
The use of calcium carbonate as an opacifier is currently the most effective replacement for titanium dioxide in coating formulations. However, in calcium (Ca) replacement or Ca fortified formulations, it is important to analytically determine the source of Ca in the formulation, i.e., amount contained in the core vs. the amount in the film coating applied. In a recent study presented at the 2020 AAPS Annual Meeting, the calcium carbonate content in the film coating vs. calcium in the core of the formulation was evaluated by Colorcon using a novel analytical test method. This work demonstrates a reliable method to quantify calcium carbonate in the core or the coating of coated dosage forms.
Clear and pigmented coatings provide a high-quality tablet finish, with taste-masking and odor barriers improving consumer acceptability. Through a new range of non-synthetic pigment options, a wider label friendly palette of color can now be achieved (NBR Vol. 7 Issue 2. 2020). Efficient processing means these coating systems are simple to use across a wide range of substrates and coating equipment.
Colorcon assists the nutraceutical industry in meeting the clean label challenge and consumer appeal by providing specially formulated tablet coatings through the Nutrafinish product line, fully supporting market and development needs to create a better customer experience. Nutrafinish coatings by Colorcon are carefully selected to meet regulatory requirements and provide excellent alternatives to fulfill clean label claims.
