PharmafruitT. The solution for unstable nutrient content in multivitamin syrups
Vitamins and liquids will never make friends
At Oystershell we have been struggling with the stability of vitamins in liquids for many years. In order to guarantee the so much desired 2 year shelf life, everything was tried: coating, microcaps, overdosing, emulsification, i.e. the whole lot. Every fresh stab at the problem raised new issues: taste, appearance, regulatory, solubility, etc.
We also had to find out that the majority of multivitamin syrups on the market did simply not meet the labeled nutrient values. And, in many countries it is forbidden to use large overages of vitamins during manufacturing in order to compensate for the later loss on the shelf.
In the end we found the solution by. giving up on the problem.
Indeed, if vitamins and liquids will never make friends, then why not separate them?
PharmafruitT, a simple idea
- The PharmafruitT concept consists of a bottle with the syrup and a specially designed cap containing a quick-disintegrating "explotablet".
- The vitamins and nutrients in the explotablet are stable for several years, typically 3 years.
- The pharmacist or consumer adds the tablet to the liquid just before use.
It's 93% yummy
Because the vitamins are added at the last moment, it is possible to formulate the syrup with real juice (such as from berries) and avoid all nutrient interactions. Moreover the berry juice is a great asset for the formula's palatability.
In our acceptance trials, 93% of the children (aged 3-16) that tried PharmafruitT rated the taste as "very good". And in this age category, taste and smell are really decisive for compliance and repeat buy.
Natural berries, rich bioflavonoids
PharmafruitT is made from following healthy and bioflavonoid rich juices: blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum), cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and redcurrant (Ribes rubrum).
No glucose, no dental plaque
PharmafruitT only contains fructose, the sugar naturally occurring in fruit. It does not contain glucose or disaccharides that can form dental plaque and are bad for young teeth.
Cap and bottle: registered design
The tablet cap was specifically designed for PharmafruitT. The inside of the cap holds the explotablet but also serves as dosing cup. The seal is a multilaminated cover that keeps oxygen, moisture and light away.
Several variants available
For the moment PharmafruitT comes in a "kid version" (6m-12yr) and a "teen version "(12 -18yr). Several nutrient labels are possible depending on your local requirements.
Download Pharmafruit onepager [912 KB - PDF]
Universities and research partners are welcome to submit proposals.
(we do not suffer from the "Not invented here syndrome" !)
