GEA Niro launches Aloe Vera spray drying process
The Denmark-headquartered company said the equipment price and the processing costs of the spray drying process are significantly cheaper than freeze drying the plant.
In addition, the process results in a powder with good properties that can be easily formulated into skin care creams and lotions, as well as food and nutraceutical products, food sales group manager Robert Z. Djernæs explained.
Thickening and active properties
Not only does the plant have active properties, it can also be used as a thickener in skin care products, Djernæs told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com.
“Formulators of skin care lotions will make their formulation and then dose in aloe vera powder to get the right viscosity. At the same time it has some healing and moistening properties,” he said.
GEA Niro’s process fillets the aloe vera leaves to remove the hard outer shell, and the pulp is then passed through a shredder and miller to create a feed that can be atomised.
The feed is then heated to less than 50 degrees Celsius and dosed with enzymes before being pasteurised. The excess water is then evaporated and the feed is spray dried creating a free flowing powder.
According to Djernæs, the resulting powder has characteristics of use for cosmetic and food formulators.
“In short these include particle size, morphology of the particle, solubility, dispersability and hygiene, but there are many more,” he said.
According to the company, the new aloe vera spray drying process bridges the gap between a ‘crude’ sun drying with ‘limited uses, and an ‘extensive and expensive’ freeze drying process.
