Vitaquest International Acquires Ashland Powder Processing Facility

Fluidized Bed Process Technologies will Enable Particle and Powder Engineering for Company’s Dietary Supplement and Food & Beverage Commercialization Business

West Caldwell, New Jersey–(Newsfile Corp. – October 2, 2023) – Vitaquest International, an industry-leading product development and commercialization partner in nutraceuticals and functional foods, has acquired the Paterson, New Jersey-based powder processing facility from Pharmachem Laboratories, a division of Ashland Inc. The facility has been recognized as an industry-leading developer and manufacturer of specialty granulated bulk ingredients since 1978. With the acquisition, Vitaquest can now provide application-specific product development, pilot and commercial manufacturing solutions using fluid bed technology for granulation, agglomeration, microencapsulation, drying & blending of liquid and powder ingredients. Branded as VQ Technologies, this capability will support Vitaquest International’s activities in helping its customers develop, manufacture and commercialize a broad range of consumer products for nutraceuticals, functional foods & beverages markets. The acquisition makes Vitaquest International one of the world’s only dietary supplement and functional food product commercialization companies with this capability and extends its range of services from raw material processing, formulation, and supplement manufacturing to packaging and fulfillment services.

According to Patrick Brueggman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vitaquest, integrating this technology and manufacturing capability into the overall Vitaquest International will be a great benefit to the company’s customers. “Powder and particle engineering are important parts of creating the highest quality, most effective products and have long been a part of our manufacturing mix. Most companies in our industry outsource this highly specialized capability,” he said. “Bringing this capability in-house, builds on our TotalQ™ commitment to quality, gives us the ability to broaden our product offerings, and helps our customers get to market faster. This is an important step for us, and we feel like it sets us apart from other companies in our industry,” he added. Brueggman went on to say that the newly acquired facility will operate under the same industry-leading quality programs as Vitaquest’s three existing facilities in New Jersey, USA.

Fluidized bed technology provides precision control of ingredient properties

The newly acquired facility has been at the forefront of powder and particle engineering for decades as a result of its expertise in fluidized bed processing for ingredients, flavors and formulated products. A number of processes are required to prepare powder formulations for optimal processing in tableting and capsule production. These processes can affect physical properties like flowability, compression and compaction, dissolution and uniformity to product performance issues like dosing accuracy, release time, mouthfeel, taste masking and appearance.

Within the fluidized bed process, granulation creates denser, more uniform particles from lighter, less uniform powders resulting in less dust and less caking with improved flow, compaction and compression properties for efficient tablet and capsule manufacturing. Agglomeration creates larger, porous powders from loose particles, improving flow, performance and appearance of food, beverage and dietary supplement powders. Microencapsulation creates a barrier coating on particles resulting in powders with modified physical, sensory, stability, release and performance characteristics designed to solve a specific problem challenge. Fluid bed drying enables uniform powders with specified moisture and water activity levels every time.

According to Gregory Drew, Vice President of Innovation for Vitaquest International, the acquisition will help spur innovation. “Paterson, NJ has a rich history of innovation, technology and manufacturing and we’re excited about the opportunity to be creative and do more for our customers. Across the supplement, food & beverage industries, innovation in product forms and delivery systems is a hot trend and a huge driver of value. This manufacturing capability will help us do that,” he said. “It will also let us work on projects that might have otherwise been impossible or cost prohibitive, which means we can take our customers places we couldn’t before. Add these to the end-to-end quality and product development efficiency this acquisition offers, and we have a win for Vitaquest and our customers,” he added.

Manufacturing Quality Supplements and Functional Foods for Over 45 years

Vitaquest has been delivering innovation in consumer products since 1977. Over the last 45-plus years the company has established itself as one of the premier product development and manufacturing companies in the nutraceutical and functional foods business. Today, the company produces more than 4,000 custom formulas each year, serving more than 500 brands in 40 countries.

Vitaquest International, headquartered in West Caldwell, NJ, has acquired a specialty powder processing facility from Pharmachem Laboratories, a division of Ashland Inc.

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“Bringing this capability in-house, builds on our TotalQ™ commitment to quality, gives us the ability to broaden our product offerings, and helps our customers get to market faster. This is an important step for us, and we feel like it sets us apart from other companies in our industry,” says Patrick Brueggman, President & CEO of Vitaquest International.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
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“Across the supplement, food & beverage industries, innovation in product forms and delivery systems is a hot trend and a huge driver of value. This manufacturing capability will help us do that,” says Gregory Drew, VP of Innovation at Vitaquest International.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
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About Vitaquest International

Headquartered in West Caldwell, NJ, USA, Vitaquest International is an industry-leading development and commercialization partner for consumer products featuring a broad array of innovative solutions in nutraceutical and functional foods. A leader in the design and development of new, standards-based quality initiatives, a comprehensive commitment to quality – called TotalQ™ – is at the core of Vitaquest as a company. With over 45 years of history, Vitaquest has the market insight, global reach and scale of operations to support emerging and existing consumer brands from the idea to the store shelf – with flawless execution in every phase.

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dgreen@resourceadvantage.com

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