The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), following a R25.9m investment from the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), recently unveiled Africa’s first microencapsulation facility, which will make local health and cosmetic manufacturers less reliant on international services. The Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Encapsulation Facility in Pretoria will give local manufacturers access to microencapsulation technology, which protects sensitive components in health and cosmetic products, such as probiotics and essential oils, thereby improving shelf-life and efficacy.
Image credit: CSIR
CSIR CEO Dr Thulani Dlamini said the facility “opens the door for local researchers, entrepreneurs and manufacturers to test, refine and scale their innovations right here at home, reducing reliance on international facilities and accelerating the path from laboratory to market.”
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CO²-based encapsulation technology
He was referring to innovations in product formulations that use supercritical carbon dioxide (CO²) to create microcapsules that protect delicate ingredients.
CO² used in this microencapsulation process is not in gas or liquid form, but rather somewhere in between, in the so-called supercritical fluid state of matter.
The CSIR’s Dr Philip Labuschagne said the process works by first dissolving supercritical carbon dioxide into a mixture of active ingredients and coating materials.
The solution is then rapidly sprayed through a nozzle, releasing CO² for later reuse, producing a fine powder of microcapsules (the active ingredient, encapsulated within the coating material).
“In your final powder product, you get tiny particle sizes of between 10 and 100 microns, and your active ingredient, whether it is a vitamin or even an oily liquid, is then dispersed within the particles,” he said.
Labuschagne said products that could benefit from a supercritical CO²-based encapsulation technology include nutritional health supplements that are sensitive to oxygen, moisture, heat or stomach acid, such as probiotics, certain phytochemicals and volatile essential oils or plant extracts that evaporate easily.
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Boost cosmetic innovation
Adelia Pimentel, executive director of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association of South Africa, said that her industry body foresees several benefits of microencapsulation for local businesses and consumers, including better product stability, efficacy and shelf-life.
“The specific types of companies that will benefit from this particular facility would be anti-ageing and skincare brands,” said Pimentel, adding that the technology will boost innovation in fragrance, personal care, sensitive skin, make-up and other premium products.
“And then, of course, the sustainability and safety factor is always important,” she said.
Labuschagne explained that the microencapsulation process requires no toxic organic solvents and takes place at relatively low temperatures, like 30°C.
“It’s really a green and safe process, and most of the carbon dioxide, which is sourced and recovered from waste processes, is recycled back into the system,” he said.
Local gut health supplement business Velobiotics already uses CSIR’s facilities to produce microencapsulated formulations of probiotics.
The process ensures that their products can survive the highly acidic stomach environment on their way to the intestines, where they are active.
CSIR researchers used a scanning electron microscope to verify the success of the microencapsulation process and checked that the final powder product can withstand the level of acidity (a pH of about two) encountered in the stomach.
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Launchpad for African biotech
“The CSIR is one of the biggest stakeholders we have, because this facility is the only one available in Africa,” said Velobiotics CEO, Dr Chomba Chuma, who now sees several of his company’s gut health products on major retailers’ shelves.
In his view, the new facility is a “beacon of African excellence” and a “launchpad for African biotech.”
“I want to thank the CSIR for believing in innovation, and the DSTI for supporting it,” said Chuma.
He also said that without the CSIR’s scientific support, scaling his business would have been unaffordable.
DSTI director-general Dr Mlungisi Cele also addressed the media and industry representatives.
“We see the launch of this facility as an important step in South Africa’s development of new high-tech industries to support manufacturing, which remains a key priority for our economy,” he said.
Nontombi Maseko, director of innovation and technology at the Department of Trade and Industry, added that this facility will help anchor small to medium enterprises, enabling them to build from the ground up.
She said her department offers incentives to further support such businesses in developing and commercialising new technologies.
