dsm-firmenich launches dry vitamin A

The clean-label dry vitamin A palmitate NI formulation withstands the rigors of food processing while maintaining its micronutrient content.

“Manufacturers can use our new Dry Vitamin A Palmitate NI for fortifying staple food, particularly flour and corn-soy blends,” Ozren Zimonja, global product marketing manager of vitamins at dsm-firmenich, told Nutraingredients. “Dry Vitamin A Palmitate NI easily mixes with staple foods, like flour, to provide a supplemental source of vitamin A in the diet.”  

Helping to address global nutrient gaps, dsm-firmenich has launched the product as part of its QUALI brand, which supplies clean-label supplement ingredients.

“The four pillars of quality, reliability, traceability and sustainability are at the core of our business and are there to give you peace of mind,” Zimonja said. 

Vitamin A deficiency​ 

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that Vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem in more than half of all countries, especially Africa and Southeast Asia.  

Globally, about 30% of children aged five years and under have vitamin A deficiency, a major cause of childhood blindness. Even mild, subclinical deficiency may increase children’s risk of infections and decrease growth rates. 

Due to increased daily requirements, pregnant and lactating women are also at risk of deficiency, which may cause maternal mortality and poor outcomes of pregnancy. 

A well-balanced diet generally prevents vitamin A deficiency, but fortified foods help address the issue, particularly when people lack access to a varied and healthy diet.

Fortifying wheat flour can help to prevent deficiency as it is “a global staple that provides 20% of the calories consumed worldwide and up to 50% in some regions,” Zimonja said. 

A stable solution​

Vitamin A is the most unstable vitamin and is difficult to preserve during food fortification and storage. Additionally, flour fortification strips grains of their natural micronutrients. 

dsm-firmenich’s new dry vitamin A palmitate NI aims to address these challenges, providing a clean-label, stable solution. 

The new formula includes all-rac-alpha tocopherol and sodium ascorbate as stabilizers and is free from BHA/BHT, silicon dioxide and microplastics.

The product’s small particle size passes a minimum of 90% through U.S. Standard sieve No. 60 (250 µm) and is particularly well-suited for fortifying wheat flour.

In addition, the formula is vegetarian, halal, kosher, sugar-free and GMO-free and offers a minimum vitamin A potency of 250,000 IU/g.

“Our scientists carefully developed this unique, more stable and clean label form of vitamin A for food fortification,” Zimonja said. “This form is specifically made to fight vitamin A deficiency and to provide healthy nutrition globally.”