Functional Magnesium Carbonate

Functional Magnesium Carbonate - A Classic with Potential Dr. Paul Lohmann®'s established and innovative Magnesium Carbonates exemplify the versatile applications of this raw material. It can be used in many different application areas. It receives particular attention as a magnesium source, especially for the food and food supplement industries. The greatest strength of this raw material is its ability to adapt to the individual needs of many different customers across all food and food supplement production areas.

Successful across all areas of the food sector with technological and nutritional benefits

Magnesium Carbonate possesses extraordinary properties and is therefore particularly valued as a raw material in the food and food supplement industry. Its applications are as varied as the product itself.

Magnesium Carbonate as an acidity regulator

In the beverage industry, Magnesium Carbonate is used as an acidity regulator. This application offers advantages both in sensory and nutritional terms: • Optimized flavor, • Positive effect on sour/sweet taste, • Healthy, • No additional sodium intake compared to sodium citrate formulation, • Increased magnesium content in the beverage, The acidic taste of a beverage is influenced not only by its pH value but also by the amount of organic acid in the beverage. Unlike commonly used Sodium Citrate, Magnesium Carbonate has a significantly higher buffer capacity. This allows beverage manufacturers to use larger quantities of acid (such as citric acid) in their products and thus increase the acidic taste of the beverage. The pH value of the beverage does not drop to an unacceptably low level. This leads to another advantage: to achieve a specific pH value with a precisely defined amount of acid, significantly less Magnesium Carbonate needs to be used compared to Sodium Citrate. (Figure 1)

Magnesium Carbonate as an anti-caking agent

Due to the hygroscopic properties of some foods or ingredients, the addition of anti-caking agents or free-flow agents can control, reduce or prevent caking. For this purpose, highly efficient additives (anti-caking agents) are used, particularly at very low concentrations. Some additives, especially nano-scale particles, are a highly contested and sensitive topic. Silicon Dioxide (SiO₂, E 551 or commonly declared as silica) has been used for years as a harmless additive. However, due to its structure, it must be replaced with others in many food applications. One alternative is Magnesium Carbonate, which is not harmful to health and can be used without any reservations in products such as instant coffee, sliced or grated cheese, spices, instant soups, table salt, food supplements and infant formula products. Potassium Chloride is a product with a strong tendency to cake. It is used as a matrix in experiments to test the suitability of flow agents. The results obtained with Magnesium Carbonate as a flow aid are very promising. Dr. Paul Lohmann®'s Magnesium Carbonate shows excellent functionality when directly compared with Silicon Dioxide. Figure 2 shows that the sample containing Magnesium Carbonate exhibited constant flowability over a 360-day storage period, whereas the flowability of the sample containing silica deteriorated during the storage period. The sample flows more slowly. Due to its defined particle structure, light molecular weight products are suitable for dosages as low as 0.1%. The bulk density is approximately 120 grams per liter, is non-agglomerated and disperses perfectly. Heavy Magnesium Carbonate with a bulk density of approximately 500 g/l is suitable at a concentration of 0.5% and scores well due to its low dust formation. However, excessive flow aid can reverse the positive effect and reduce good flowability (Figure 3).

Infant formula and follow-on formula

The infant nutrition market is growing and magnesium is an indispensable component in related formulations. Magnesium Carbonate with a very fine particle structure ensures the safe and healthy development of powdered infant formula and follow-on formula. Magnesium Carbonate is also ideal for ready-to-use infant milk and, on the other hand, for cereal flakes and biscuits for older children. Dr. Paul Lohmann® Magnesium Carbonate combines nutritional benefits with processing ease and facilitates the development of innovative and comprehensive solutions for infant and child nutrition. The high purity of Magnesium Carbonate enables compliance with particularly desired quality criteria in infant formula formulations in terms of product safety and purity. For example, very low aluminum, lead and cadmium contents can be achieved in this way.

Magnesium Carbonate as DC granules

A special development by Dr. Paul Lohmann® is "DC Granules". (Direct Tableting) These are created by adding a liquid solution (binding water) to the powder. During the subsequent drying process, agglomerates with permanent bonds are formed. The granulation process increases particle size and converts fine or coarse powders into physically solid and larger granules with uniform shape, good flowability and optimized tableting properties. Due to their composition, these directly tableting Magnesium Carbonates have slightly lower magnesium content due to the addition of a binder, but they offer particularly important advantages. Since the granulation process previously performed is no longer necessary, they simplify many production steps in the production process. They offer advantages in production capacity and cost.1 Coarse, porous particles offer easy, dust-free use and optimized flow properties. Together with directly tableting active ingredients, these DC granules are also ideal as carriers. Magnesium Carbonate is also used as a preferred ingredient in tablets such as chewable and effervescent tablets due to its high magnesium content. In effervescent tablets, it also serves as a source of carbon dioxide to create the effervescent effect. Tablet strength can be affected by changes in the binder.

Magnesium Carbonate DC - Designed for direct tableting:

• Magnesium Carbonate DC 90S with 10% corn starch • Magnesium Carbonate DC 90S/C with 10% corn starch • Magnesium Carbonate DC 90S/F with 10% corn starch • Magnesium Carbonate DC 97GA containing 3% gum arabic S – Starch S/C – Starch/coarse S/F – Starch/fine GA – Gum arabic Dr. Paul Lohmann® is a world-leading manufacturer and supplier of high-value mineral salts for the food, nutritional supplements and pharmaceutical industries. Since 1886, a high level of flexibility and an innovative spirit have enabled Dr. Paul Lohmann® to respond to changing needs. Customers benefit from the broadest high-value mineral portfolio on the market, available in more than 400 products in various grades designed to deliver optimal performance in a wide range of applications. Mineral salts are produced in GMP and FSSC 22000/ISO 22000 certified facilities at quality levels determined in accordance with pharmacopeias, food-related statutory regulations or customer specifications. Dr. Paul Lohmann® also engages in product and application development in close cooperation with customers. This includes adaptation of chemical and physical parameters such as bulk density, wettability, particle size, purity or pH value.

Reference

1 - Agrawal, R., & Naveen, Y. (2011). Pharmaceutical processing - a review on wet granulation technology. International journal of pharmaceutical frontier research, 1(1), 65-83 Author: Mrs. Aileen Jager Sales Manager Dr. Paul Lohmann GmbH & Co. KGaA Translator: Emel Babacan Gürbıyık General Manager ATS Advanced Technology Supplies A.Ş.