Dietary supplements, OTCs and functional ingredients: where food meets pharma

Pharma and Food

Positioned between food and pharmaceuticals, the nutraceutical industry comprises foods and substances — or combinations of substances — consisting of molecules or elements found in nature for the purpose of maintaining or improving health and treating or preventing diseases/conditions. Major food and pharmaceutical companies are currently investing heavily in research and development (R&D) and marketing budgets to secure market share and promote further growth and development.

Herbs and Botanicals

Human beings have been using natural products since the dawn of time. Plants growing wild in nature or cultivated as crops are still the prime ingredients in many drugs, beverages, flavors and cosmetics. GEA’s comprehensive product range covers most of the required steps for processing leaves, herbs and other plant material, for example, into extracts and then further into powders or granulates.

Natural Extract Technologies

Extracts are generally concentrated forms of natural substances obtained by treating crude material containing these substances with an appropriate solvent such as water, alcohol or another organic solvent. This process can successfully be done using our continuous extraction plant.

Solid Dosage Forms

The production of many solid dosage nutraceuticals involves batch or continuous extraction equipment and an evaporator to concentrate the extract to an appropriate solid content prior to spray drying. Ginseng, valerian, spices and liquorice, among others, are considered to be herbal products. The range of health products is wide, but the common trait for most of these products is the need for spray drying during the production process, regardless of whether the raw material derives from chemical/pharmaceutical production or from a natural product. Health products include dextran, calcium salts (lactate, etc.), as well as various types of herbs.

We provide our customers with an optimized mix of high output and cost-effective solutions, as well as productivity and flexibility.