Valensa International announced today that it has developed technology that has dramatically increased the stability and shelf-life of the powerful, versatile antioxidant astaxanthin. The company has just completed a 7-year shelf-life study of its Zanthin(R) natural astaxanthin that indicates that this ultra-high pressure supercritical CO2 extract of Haematococcus pluvialis, bolstered by Valensa's proprietary O2B(R) Peroxidation Blocker technology, has a minimum 4-year shelf-life. Published reports by other astaxanthin producers indicate ranges of 1 - 2 years under refrigeration as the existing state-of-the-art for astaxanthin stability. Effective immediately, Valensa has raised its Zanthin(R) brand astaxanthin oleoresin stability recommendation to 4 years at 20 degrees C. The greater stability profile of Zanthin(R) astaxanthin will allow formulators of nutraceutical products to use smaller safety margins (overage) to assure consumers of efficacy in products on a store shelf, which can lead to cost savings.
According to Rudi E. Moerck, President & CEO of Valensa International, it is incumbent on producers of nutraceutical ingredients to manage the stability issues of their extracted products to assure safety and quality. "Anytime you extract oils or oleoresins from natural materials, you are faced with stability issues relating to oxidative degradation. At Valensa, we have developed a considerable body of expertise in addressing the stability of our extracted products, continually developing new extraction methodologies and developing customized stabilization packages that are natural and protect our products and the people who use them," he said. "The data in our just concluded study are a confirmation of why our customers put their trust in Zanthin(R) natural astaxanthin as the best and most stable astaxanthin ingredient on the market today. Essentially, we have been able to eliminate stability concerns and create a new level of astaxanthin shelf-life for our customers," he added. Moerck went on to point out that the company's position as a fully integrated supplier with chain of custody over raw materials growing and harvesting through the extraction process is the source for overall quality for its Zanthin(R) natural astaxanthin and contributes to the company's ability to manage shelf-life issues. Valensa now recommends a 5% safety margin, or "overage," for its astaxanthin as compared to the 10% the industry typically uses.
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