Oil-to-powder conversion
The problem
A liquid oil restricts you to a softgel or a liquid format. If the product needs to be a capsule, a sachet, a stick pack, a tablet or a powder blend — or needs to sit alongside dry actives — the oil has to become a powder first.
The conversion introduces its own problem. Increasing the surface area of an oxidation-prone oil accelerates its oxidation, and the fishy or rancid notes that reach the consumer are secondary oxidation products, not the oil itself.
Why the conventional approach fails
Simply adsorbing oil onto a carrier such as silica produces a powder that flows but leaves a high proportion of the oil exposed at the particle surface. That surface oil oxidises first and fastest, and it dominates both the sensory profile and the early stability curve. A powder with good flow and high surface oil will taste rancid long before its assay fails.
How NexaGens addresses it
True matrix encapsulation rather than surface adsorption: the oil is emulsified and dried into a food-grade matrix so that the majority of the oil is held within the particle rather than on it. The specification that matters is not oil loading but the ratio of encapsulated to surface oil.
Relevant products
| Product | Type | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microencapsulated Omega-3 Fish Oil | Oil powder | Contains fish — allergen declaration required | Qualified |
| Microencapsulated Algal DHA Oil | Oil powder | Algal source — suitable for vegan formulations | Qualified |
| Microencapsulated Oregano Oil | Oil powder | Volatility control; no enteric claim | Qualified |
| Peppermint Oil Enteric Pellets | Enteric pellet | Where intestinal release is also required | Qualified |
What to specify, and how to test it
Oil powders are specified badly more often than any other category. Total oil load is the least informative number on the sheet. Ask for:
- Surface oil, stated as a percentage of total oil, with the extraction method named. This is the single most predictive parameter for both sensory and stability performance.
- Peroxide value (PV) — primary oxidation products.
- Anisidine value (AV) — secondary oxidation products, which carry the odour.
- TOTOX (2×PV + AV) — the combined index. A low PV alone can hide a high AV in an oil that has already oxidised and moved on.
- All three measured over time, not at release only. Release values tell you about the manufacturing, not the shelf life.
- Active content separate from oil content — EPA and DHA individually for marine oils, marker compound for essential oils (carvacrol for oregano, menthol for peppermint).
- Payload leakage under storage and under compression, if the powder will be tableted.
- Allergen status stated explicitly. Fish oil requires declaration; algal DHA does not.
For NexaGens products, these acceptance criteria form part of the product specification, and each production batch is supplied with a batch-specific certificate of analysis.
Next steps
See the oil powder range · Ask for the current oxidation data