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Powder Power POWDER POWER Robin C. Koon
powder [pow´der] from Old French poldre, from Latin pulvis dust
Definition: The fine particles to which any dry substance is reduced by pounding, grinding, or
triturating, or into which it falls by decay; dust.
Powdered beverage mixes aren’t new technology. Kool Aid (1927), Tang (1957), Gatorade (1965)
have now been around for over 50 years. Powdered drinks have steadily continued to grow as a
category as the marketers have continued to develop new products and better packaging. The
major advantage is the ability to give a substantially larger dose than either tablets or capsules
can. Taste is critical - if it does not taste good, consumers will not drink it nor purchase it again.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE DRINK POWDER?
One first needs to decide the purpose of the powder blend. There are several types and varieties
of powder mixes being sold today:
Drinks
(Kool Aid, Crystal Lite, Tang, chocolate, coffees, instant teas, etc.)
Protein
(shakes - whey, soy, pea, rice, etc.)
Meal (food)
(baby food, eggs, milk, camping food, etc.)
Meal Replacement (reduced calorie diet formulas, high calorie weight gainer, and maintenance)
Body building (creatine, protein, recovery, etc.)
Sports
(electrolytes, protein, carbs, etc.)
Cleanses
(intestinal, colon, laxative action, etc.)
Fiber
(soluble/insoluble; Metamucil, Benefiber, bran, oats, etc.)
Medicines
(headache, stomach, laxatives, cholesterol, Seidlitz, etc.)
Other
(super foods, greens, fruits, teas, vitamin/mineral, antioxidants, herbals, joint,
calcium, energy, probiotics, effervescent, toothpaste, bath powder, talcum, etc.)
Note: Infant Formulas are regulated by the FDA. Because infant formula is a critical life sustaining
food used as the sole source of nutrition during a critical period of growth and development in the
infant, there are separate specific laws, statutory, and regulatory requirements governing foods
that apply to infant formula.
Best Formulations White Paper 1 Powder Power FORMULATION CONSIDERATIONS
Like real estate, the 3 most important aspects of a good powder formula are taste, taste, and taste.
A powder that will sell well must have good taste and have decent mouth-feel. A winning product
needs to taste great, look great and sound great. Combining functional nutrients, stabilizers,
flavors, colors and sweeteners into an optimal powder blend can be a challenge to efficacy,
performance and cost. The use of a taste panel is helpful to get proper feedback when developing
a new product. Aspects to consider in formulating a powder include:
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Hot or cold beverage?
Gluten or dairy free required?
Flavors/sweeteners (natural or artificial)
Colorants (natural or artificial)
Solubility (does it dissolve/mix in well? For proteins, it’s always best to use agglomerated
protein powders, for example)
Anti-caking / flow agents (silica, silicates, stearates, phosphates, etc.)
Bulk / Thickeners (vegetable gums, starches, pectins, alginates, maltodextrin, proteins,
agar, etc.)
Emulsifiers (soya bean lecithin, sugar esters, distilled glycerides, gums, etc.)
Preservatives (required? chemical or natural?)
FORMULATION PROCESS
Step 1 - Review the general formulation
We look at amounts/quantities of actives (claimed) ingredients, excipients, flavorants, and
determine the serving size. We look to see if there is enough room in the serving size for the
adequate addition of flavorants & excipients. If the general formula is OK, then we produce a Base
powder sample (which has everything except flavorants/sweeteners).
Choosing the right forms of the active ingredients are critical to the taste. Some ingredient
suppliers have developed micro-encapsulated, chelated, granulated forms of various ingredients to
help improve either the taste, solubility, or stability of the ingredient. There is often a tradeoff
between potency and function for these particular ingredients, as well as cost.
Step 2: Choose flavor type & the specific flavor(s) and the sweetener (if needed)
How to choose the flavor? There are several determinants to consider:
A. Choice of flavorant type. Generally, there are three basic types of flavorings used in food
products:
Natural flavoring substances: Flavoring substances obtained from plant or animal sources,
by physical, microbiological or enzymatic processes. Typically these are lowest in flavor
potency, and usually require a much higher amount to achieve an appropriate flavor profile.
Best Formulations White Paper 2 Powder Power Nature-identical flavoring substances: Flavoring substances that are obtained by synthesis
or isolated through chemical processes, which are nearly identical to flavoring substances
found naturally. They cannot contain any artificial flavoring substances.
Artificial flavoring substances: Flavoring substances not coming from a natural product,
whether or not the product is processed. These are typically derived from naturally or
synthetically sourced chemicals. Although they are chemically different, the sensory
characteristics are the same as natural ones. Typically these are very potent, so just a small
amount is needed, and they maintain potency better and for a longer period of time as
compared to the natural or nature-identical flavorings.
B. Which flavor to use? It really depends upon the application and the base powder mix.
The age of the consumer and the frequency of use will further influence taste preferences.
Children generally prefer sweet, fruity, and candy-like tastes while adults prefer less sweet,
tart-fruity flavors. Some areas of the world prefer much less sweetness (e.g. Asia). The most
popular flavors are: Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry.
Flavor types:
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Ph Modifiers:
 Acidic citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, etc.
 Alkali bicarbonates (e.g. sodium bicarbonate), mineral carbonates, etc.
 Buffers calciums, phosphates, etc.
Berry cherry, grape, raspberry, etc.
Citrus orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, etc.
Fruit apple, apricot, banana, fruit punch, peach, pear, pineapple, strawberry,
watermelon, etc.
Gums vegetable gums: acacia (gum arabic), agar, cellulose, guar, locust bean,
xanthan, pectins, etc.
Meat beef, chicken, pork, fish, etc.
Mint menthol, mint, peppermint, wintergreen, etc.
MSG monosodium glutamate (savory)
Spices cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mustards, nutmeg, peppers, turmeric, vanilla, etc.
Vegi carrot, curry, garlic, mushroom, onion, rosemary, tomato, etc.
Other burnt, chocolate, coffee, dairy, eucalyptus, florals (rose, etc.), nuts, root beer,
smoky, etc.
Often times, we will use several flavors (multiple) mixed together, to round out or to
enhance a flavor.
C. Other Flavoring agents:
Masking agents: Designed to help cover bitter or other unpleasant tasting substances in
the powder formulas. Most flavor houses recommend working first with a base to mask off
notes and then accentuating desired flavors with the addition of actual flavors. Sometimes
the use of an additional masking agent is very helpful. Some flavor companies have
standard/stock masking agents specific to different applications (e.g. soy, whey powders).
Best Formulations White Paper 3 Powder Power Numbing/Blocking: The physiology involved is merely to numb or block specific tastes
from the taste buds. There are several natural agents that can do this:
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Menthol - causes a cooling effect that reductions perception of bitterness.
Bitter Orange (citrus aurantium) - a bitterness masker.
Gymnemic Acid (gymnema sylvestre) - a sweetness masker.
Synsepalum dulcificum berry - makes sour taste sweet.
Amino acids - can substantially reduce bitterness (e.g. alanine, taurine, glutamic
acid, and glycine).
Salt (sodium chloride) - a small portion of additional salt can reduce the perception
of sourness, especially if it is supplemented with some sweetness. We also use a
small amount to help mask the effect of minerals in a formula, it can help mask the
bitterness or aftertaste on the tongue.
POWDER UNIFORMITY, FLOW, AND STABILITY
In addition to flavor profile, the uniformity, flow, and stability of the powder are extremely important
to have a consumer-ready finished product.
Most people assume that powder blending is the easiest type of manufacturing, and in most cases,
it is pretty straightforward. However, variables such as particle size, particle density, moisture
content, etc. will affect powder uniformity. A good and experienced powder formulator will try to
select or specify an appropriate particle size for all the raw materials. If the ingredients come in
various mesh sizes, then additional processing (such as grinding, granulation, etc.) may be
necessary to achieve a tighter range of particle sizes. An experienced powder manufacturer will
know the specific blending process to achieve content uniformity. Such variables as blending time,
type of blender, amounts of the trace ingredients, etc. all factor in to develop the correct blending
process.
Powder flow is an important consideration, more so on the packaging side. A powder
manufacturer/packager needs to work closely with the formulator to ensure that the powder flows
consistently to ensure proper fill weights. Powders that are formulated without taking flow into
consideration can result in increased manufacturing/packaging costs and an unhappy experience
for all involved.
Powders are probably the most inert dosage form because the least amount of processing has
been applied. However, the hydroscopic nature of certain ingredients (such as fructose/sucrose,
certain amino acids, etc.) will cause the powder to absorb moisture over time and clump. The
region of where the product will be sold factors heavily into this as well. High humidity
environments (such as Asia) will require the addition of natural desiccants (such as silica) to the
formula. Adjusting the formula may be required (for example, only a small amount of l-carnitine
should be used if the product will be sold in a humid environment). Packaging plays an important
role. Choosing packaging with improved moisture barrier and/or adding a physical desiccant to the
powder will help improve the stability of powders. Smaller pack sizes may also help in this area.
SUPPLEMENT OR FOOD?
Best Formulations White Paper 4 Powder Power Powder blends can be sold either as a food or as a dietary supplement, depending on formulation
and purpose. Food products are not regulated by the same GMPs that regulate dietary
supplements. Note that dietary supplement labeling differs from standard food labeling. Food
labels are required to have a “Nutrition Facts” panel whereas dietary supplement labels must have
a “Supplement Facts” panel.
MIXING OF POWDERS AND LIQUIDS
Much debate still goes on whether one should add powder-to-water or water-to-powder. Which
way is better? Most powder mixes do not mix well with fluids. Using a blender or shaker bottle
tends to make things easier. However, in a drinking glass they tend to clump (especially with
proteins), foam, float, and fizz - everything except to mix into water. From a chemistry point of
view, it works better to add powder to water. Start by stirring the water (with a spoon) then add the
powder slowly into the water, and then continue to mix vigorously with a spoon, until the powder is
dispersed.
SUMMARY
Powder formulas (e.g. beverages, meal-replacement, weight-loss, etc.), all share one important
thing, if they are not tasty or palatable, consumers will not use nor purchase again. It's all about a
positive experience with aroma and taste. Flavoring is an art that is similar to that of a cooking
chef, it's all about taste. Do not be discouraged, if it takes several tries before obtaining the desired
result. It's worth it.
The powder beverage market has certainly grown beyond traditional sugar drinks, protein shakes
and sports energy beverages. Functional beverage and food marketers see powders as an
opportunity to expand their delivery formats and offer convenience.
Robin C. Koon, Executive Vice President at Best Formulations, has more than 25 years of
pharmaceutical experience in clinical pharmacy, as a drug chain executive overseeing operations
and managed-care, and in retail mass market.
Best Formulations is a leading full-scale contract manufacturer of prescription, OTC, vitamin, and
nutraceutical softgels, tablets, capsules, powders, and teas. The company’s 120,000 sq ft.
manufacturing facility and full in-house laboratory is FDA drug licensed and GMP-certified by
both NPA and NSF (as well as NSF GMP for Sport).
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