Nowadays a clean label is truly a criterion of choice for consumers who also pay attention to the composition of the products they use. According to a survey carried out by Opinion Way, 35% of French people want to know the exact composition of dietary supplements, 36% look at the quality and 37% the effectiveness of the products.1
With complete transparency and ‘free’ allegations being the trend, titanium dioxide and colloidal silica are at the heart of current affairs. They are used in cosmetics, dietary supplements and also the pharmaceutical industry and are more and more contested.
Thanks to our pioneering spirit at PileJe Industrie we are adapting to offer natural alternatives to our customers as we develop or reformulate products and stand out for our quality solutions.
1. Titanium dioxide
Used in numerous applications as a food additive, colour or in cosmetics for its UV absorbing properties, titanium dioxide is a widely discussed substance. Even though to date research has not proven possible adverse effects of titanium dioxide, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has planned a reassessment expected to come out shortly. In France, Bruno Le Maire, the Minister for Economic Affairs and Finance has committed to suspending the use of titanium dioxide in the country.
Present in the coating of capsules and the film-coating agents of tablets, it is true that titanium dioxide is ideal for coating. Coating a coloured tablet with titanium dioxide-free film coating represents a real challenge. However thanks to our expertise, PiLeJe Industrie is pleased to offer a totally mastered natural alternative which uses colouring agents from plant extracts guaranteed free of titanium dioxide.
2. Colloidal Silica
Colloidal Silica is used in product formulation and plays a major role as a flow enhancer for powders and in lubrication (non-stick properties). Finding a quality alternative is quite a big challenge when it comes to developing and formulating dietary supplements due to its very specific grain size. To date no raw material has exactly the same advantages or the same grain size as silica.
Silica comes in the form of nanomaterials. When present in a product, it must be listed (nano) on it in compliance with the INCO 1169/2011 regulation.
Following the clean label approach and our customers’ wishes at PiLeJe Industrie, we are working on replacing colloidal silica in our formulas. With a constant desire to innovate and adapt, at PiLeJe Industrie we offer alternative ingredients which provide good flow and are rethinking our formulas by adding high density excipients which adhere as little as possible to tools.
If you would like to learn more about available alternative substances and tailored processing please don’t hesitate to contact our team.