This is a brief summary of frequently asked questions and its brief answers in regards to natural antioxidants, rosemary extracts, its use, benefits, etc.  We hope that this information will be useful and helpful for all our customers.

If you have any further questions or need more technical support, please do not hesitate to
contact us directly.

“What compounds of rosemary extract exhibit antioxidative properties? “

• Carnosic acid, carnosol and rosmarinic acid are the most active compounds of rosemary extract  found to have  powerful antioxidant activity.
• The same compounds are found in sage as well.
• Carnosic acid is the most potent one, followed by carnosol and rosmarinic acid.
• Carnosic acid and carnosol (phenolic diterpens) have been suggested to account for over 90% of the antioxidant properties of rosemary extract.
• Their activity is due to the cooperation of their ortho phenolic group with their isopropyl groups.
• Rosmarinic acid is categorized as “plant phenolic”,the second most frequently occurring caffeic acid ester, following chlorogenic acid and to have antioxidant activity equivalent to that of caffeic acid.
• It has been found that rosmarinic acid has a significantly higher superoxide scavenging activity than ascorbic acid.
• They act as a powerful inhibitors of lipid peroxidation and as metal chelators.
• Carnosol and carnosic acid are also good scavengers of peroxyl radical.
• Those three compounds act as a powerful antioxidants in oil, water and o/w emulsions.

Their antioxidant activity can be presented as:

R-O* + A* = R-O-A
R-O * free radical
A* antioxidant

"Natural antioxidants are less effective than synthetic ones."

Numerous reports in literature as well as our internal studies confirm that in fact rosemary antioxidants are in most applications more effective than vitamin E (synthetic), BHA, BHT,TBHQ and others . In addition to that, rosemary antioxidants are much more high  temperature resistant, and its use enables customers to keep clean label on their products and there is no allergen issue.

"Rosemary  extracts change odor, flavor or color of the final application"

In the early days of rosemary extracts, ten and more years ago, there was a lot of essential oils still in the extracts making them unsuitable for most applications. Since then, by utilizing the most advanced technologies and state of the art equipment, Vitiva has developed an innovative product line called Inolens®. Inolens® is low odor, greatly reduced bitterness line of rosemary extracts  that can be used even is such delicate applications as white chocolate, dairy products and pet food . Besides Inolens as a special line of deodorized products, Vitiva’s other oil and water soluble extracts are also low in essentials oils and when used in recommended dosages do not change organoleptic characteristics of the final application.

"Natural antioxidants can not be declared on the label."

Rosemary extracts with antioxidative properties are being declared in such a way that the label of the product stays “clean”. In the USA, rosemary extracts have the GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe; see FDA 21 CFR 182.10) status declaring that they can be used in any concentration in any application. They are classified as spice extracts (see FDA 21 CFR 101.22). They are classified as natural flavors in the EU (see EC 88/338)

"There is a potential GMO issue with rosemary extracts"

All the rosemary plants from which Vitiva produces rosemary extracts with  antioxidant properties are wild grown  herbs. No GMO plants are used in any part of the process. For production of oil soluble  extracts we do not use soybean oil or any other oil that could present a GMO issue in the final product.

“How do I choose the right product for my application?”

When inquiring about right products for your application it would be advised that customer forward us the answers on most general questions given below. That would help us help you achieve your goal in an effective manner.

The most general questions that should be answered prior choosing the right rosemary extract with antioxidative properties are:

• What is the application ( i.e. meat, skin cream, fish oil…)?
• What is the fat content?
• What are the key success factors for the customer?
    o shelf life extension
    o taste, flavor, color protection
    o rancidity / oxidation prevention
    o clean label
    o all of those
• How much of protection, shelf life prolongation is desired?
• Are other antioxidants already in use and if so which one?
• At what stage of the process would you like to add the antioxidant?
• What form of antioxidant would the customer prefer powder or liquid?
• Is rosemary taste, flavor…carryover any issue for the customer?
• Are any carriers ( i.e. maltodextrin, silicon dioxide…) and / or additives ( i.e. emulsifiers ) acceptable for the customer?
• Are any synthetic synergists acceptable for customer? Or only natural solution…?

"The dosage of natural antioxidants is very low and therefore difficult to handle in production"

Vitiva’s rosemary extracts are being produced in variety of concentrations that suite different need and applications.  In addition to that we can prepare custom made formulations ( liquid, powder, with carriers, special solvents etc.)  that are enabling customer to easily dose it. We can help customer even further by preparing or  batch-size packages (quantity of antioxidant in one package corresponds to dosage required by your specific application) which eliminate the need for weighing of small quantities in your production.

"How do I ensure homogeneous distribution of the antioxidant in my product?"

Antioxidants should be added to your product as soon as possible in the manufacturing process to ensure effective protection from the very start. We have developed product solutions that enable application by  dusting, injecting, mixing, massaging, etc. The products are prepared in such a way that results in good solubility of active ingredients, which further helps  its uniform distribution throughout the product and the whole  batch Further to that, Vitiva has developed very sensitive analytical methods for quantitative tracking of even smallest ( as low as 1 ppm) amounts of active ingredients in final products. By analyzing several samples from the same batch (or sections of a product injected with antioxidant solution/suspension) we can determine the exact concentration of active ingredients in each of them, not only at the end of production process but also through the whole shelf-life of your product.

"Should I use oil or water soluble antioxidant for my application?"

A general recommendation is that you match the components that you want to protect: if you want to protect fats, use oil soluble antioxidant. If the component that you need to protect is water soluble, the best effect will be achieved if water soluble antioxidants are applied.Due to same nature of protected component and antioxidant the latter is easily dissolved in the protected component and protects it from the inside.An antioxidant that is not soluble in the component of your product that needs protection will stay on the phase border and will only have a limited benefit for your application.Therefore, Vitiva has developed a broad range of products that suite many various applications and are very specific.

"Can I use oil soluble rosemary extracts in water based brines for meat injection?"

Yes.  Vitiva has developed special grades of oil soluble extracts that contain food grade emulsifiers that enable easy application in the water based meat injection brine.

“What are the benefits of using rosemary extracts with antioxidative properties?”

• usage is allowing »clean label »
• allergen - free formula
• “spice extract” or “natural flavor” labeling
• no legal restrictions on use in EU, USA, Japan
• GRAS status in the USA
• GMO free

"Natural antioxidants are very expensive."

Since they are extracted from plants, natural antioxidants will always be more expensive than the synthetic ones and if the cost is the only decision factor, they will never be able to compete.

However, Vitiva made some very important improvements that help bring our products closer to all the users. Vitiva is one of the largest manufacturers of rosemary extracts with antioxidant properties. Cost savings achieved through economies of scale and effectiveness of our proprietary extraction processes are passed onto the customers. In addition to that, Vitiva has developed extracts with very high content of active ingredients. Their dosage to the final products is very low which again lowers the cost in your product. In most of the cases you will be able to achieve optimum antioxidative protection for less than 0.01 €/kg of your product.