Coating systems specialist BIOGRUND has announced it is partnering with Swiss materials developer Seprify to introduce a mineral-free tablet coating solution for the nutraceutical market.
The announcement follows on from Seprify's recent €13.4m Series A funding.
The new ready-made coating systems will integrate Seprify's plant-based cellulose ingredient, SilvaAlba, enabling manufacturers to achieve a bright white appearance and processing stability that has traditionally been provided by titanium dioxide (E171) or calcium carbonate (E170), while also supporting clean-label formulation strategies.
The launch comes at a time when the nutraceutical industry is seeking credible alternatives to TiO₂ (E171) after the EU's 2022 ban on the substance as a food additive. Consumer demand is also growing for simpler, more transparent ingredient lists.
SilvaAlba is derived from renewable cellulose and delivers strong whitening performance while supporting simplified formulations with clean ingredients.
Compared with commonly used mineral alternatives such as calcium carbonate, the product offers enhanced pH stability, helping maintain coating performance under typical nutraceutical processing conditions.
As a form of microcrystalline cellulose, the ingredient also provides regulatory familiarity for manufacturers and formulators, while Seprify's scalable production approach ensures reliable supply as demand for TiO₂ alternatives grows.
Together, the companies state, these properties enable coating systems to deliver the appearance, processing reliability and formulation simplicity required by nutraceutical manufacturers.
"Developing a credible alternative to titanium dioxide requires more than replacing a pigment," said Lukas Schertel, CEO and co-founder of Seprify. "The material must integrate into real manufacturing systems while maintaining optical performance and regulatory clarity."
With SilvaAlba, we engineered a cellulose structure that provides efficient light scattering from a renewable feedstock. Working with BIOGRUND allows this material innovation to be translated into ready-to-use coating systems that nutraceutical manufacturers can test and deploy today.
BIOGRUND's coating systems are widely used by pharmaceutical and nutraceutical manufacturers to simplify tablet coating formulation and production through ready-to-use premixes.
By incorporating SilvaAlba into its coating technology, BIOGRUND said that it will enable customers to transition toward mineral-free coatings while maintaining process efficiency and consistent product appearance.
"Our customers are increasingly seeking coating systems that align with clean-label expectations while remaining robust in industrial manufacturing processes," said Mahmud Yunis, Technical Director at BIOGRUND.
Integrating SilvaAlba into our ready-made coating formulations allows us to provide a plant-based whitening solution that combines optical performance with formulation simplicity.
"This helps nutraceutical manufacturers move toward mineral-free products with confidence."
The pair say the mineral-free coating system is now available for customer evaluation and formulation trials, with BIOGRUND providing customised coating solutions tailored to specific tablet formulations.
BIOGRUND will also showcase the mineral-free coating solution at Making Pharmaceuticals & Nutraceuticals (21-22 April) and Vitafoods Europe (5-7 May), where nutraceutical manufacturers can explore the system and begin formulation testing.