Pharmactive introduces green production process

Published: 30-Oct-2019

The AFF ON Cool-Tech process for extracting saffron requires less industrial processing, lowering the energy consumed

Pharmactive Biotech Products has optimised product quality and concentration with AFF ON Cool-Tech, its new, natural proprietary extraction process that maintains peak freshness and purity. The new process is low was and minimises the carbon footprint by requiring less industrial processing.

The company makes affron, the clean-label saffron extract This process is gentle on the saffron plant – one of nature's most fragile – safeguarding the potent actives in the saffron essence.

Clean technology

AFF ON Cool-Tech was specially designed, developed and patented by Pharmactive's team of saffron extraction experts.

"AFF ON Cool-Tech does not use harmful solvents, synthetics or additives of any kind," explains Jorge Rodriguez, Head of Production at Pharmactive, about the eco-friendly technique. "It generates very low waste and considerably reduces the impact on the environment, minimising the carbon footprint."

"The AFF ON Cool-Tech process requires less industrial processing than other saffron extractors, lowering the energy consumed – and all in fewer steps," Rodriguez added.

AFF ON Cool-Tech produces a high concentration of saffron-sourced Lepticrosalides actives, as tested and shown by HPLC-DAD (high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode-array detector).

"Pharmactive is the first saffron actives supplier that can scientifically demonstrate how its products deliver outstanding beneficial/valuable properties at among the lowest recommended doses in the market (just 28 mg/day)," said Julia Diaz, Pharmactive's Marketing Manager. "This is a powerful indicator of AFF ON Cool-Tech's effectiveness."

Trusted saffron source

Saffron is among the most expensive botanicals in the world – literally worth more than its weight in gold – which makes counterfeiting common. Pharmactive cultivates saffron in its own fields in the exceptional Spanish Castilla-La Mancha region, where Crocus sativus L. has been grown and nurtured for centuries.

Pharmactive introduces green production process

Pharmactive collaborates with select saffron farmers, whose craft has been part of their cultural heritage for centuries. Their knowledge of saffron and how to optimally produce and harvest it – all without chemical fertilisers – is key to affron's quality. The art of saffron harvesting requires manual picking of choice stigmas during a brief daily window of time.

Food-to-fork processing, including local extraction, efficient transport and strategic storage, gives Pharmactive complete control and traceability of the supply chain to retain peak freshness and product authenticity.

From abundant field to potent yield

Affron saffron is standardised to Lepticrosalides, which is a complex of bioactive compounds that deliver affron's clinically demonstrated beneficial health and organoleptic attributes. Pharmactive conducts comprehensive quality control analyses to confirm affron purity and concentration.

Integrated extraction solution

Pharmactive reaps the benefits of an exclusive three-step, low-temperature production process that creates highly concentrated, potent affron with long-lasting actives stability – for up to 36 months.

  1. Prepare raw material: Hand-selected pure Crocus sativus L. stigmas are mixed with simple natural compounds to create a liquid solution.
  2. Extract and develop the concentrate: The extraction, concentration and purification of saffron stigmas at low temperatures and free of solvents is gentle on the actives.
  3. Dry the product: The proprietary cool-temperature drying technique further conserves the actives.

To protect the actives from outside elements such as air, humidity and contamination during storage, Pharmactive uses a composite structure made of exclusive materials.

Technology in bloom

Pharmactive will introduce affron and at Vitafoods Asia in Singapore, Booth #I32, September 25-26, 2019. Affron EYE, the affron product for eye health, is a finalist for the 2019 NutraIngredients-Asia Award in the Ingredient of the Year Healthy Aging category.

The company will also be at CPhI 2019, Booth #41P12

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