Suppliers of clean-label solubilization technology for difficult nutraceutical ingredients fall into six groups: pre-formed micelle producers, lipid-based self-emulsifying system developers, phospholipid complex (phytosome) suppliers, self-emulsifying powder converters, cannabinoid-specific beverage platforms, and physical-processing platforms that use natural stabilizers instead of synthetic surfactants. Named examples include AquaNova (NovaSOL), Virun (ESOLV), Gencor (AquaCelle, LipiSperse), Geocann (VESIsorb), Indena (Phytosome), OmniActive (UltraSol), Capsoil, Azuca, and Infusd. Large ingredient houses such as Symrise, Caldic, ADM, Kerry and dsm-firmenich supply supporting flavor, stabilizer and distribution systems rather than a single solubilizer. Because "clean label" has no legal definition, the deciding factor is the excipient list the supplier is willing to disclose, not the marketing descriptor on the datasheet.

This article maps those suppliers by technology class, summarizes the regulatory context for the emulsifiers that clean-label programs typically exclude, and sets out the technical documentation a product development team should request before selecting a partner for a functional beverage. For background on how actives are specified in these products, see our article on what makes a functional drink actually functional.

Why These Nutraceutical Ingredients Are Difficult to Formulate in Beverages

Many high-demand nutraceutical ingredients are lipophilic or poorly water-soluble. Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, D, E and K, curcumin, coenzyme Q10, astaxanthin, lutein, cannabinoids and many botanical extracts do not disperse in water without a carrier system. Added as-is to a beverage, they separate, cloud the liquid, form a ring at the neck of the bottle, or oxidize.

Creaming velocity in a beverage emulsion follows Stokes' law: it scales with the density difference between the oil and water phases and with the square of the droplet radius, and it falls as continuous-phase viscosity rises. An academic thesis on beverage emulsion rheology and stability applies this relationship directly to ring formation in bottled drinks. Smaller droplets cream more slowly and scatter less light, which is why a published review of nanoemulsion delivery systems describes nanoemulsions, typically 5 to 100 nm, as optically transparent and kinetically stable.

Achieving that droplet size conventionally requires surfactants, and the surfactants that work best for high loads and clear systems are often the ones clean-label programs exclude. That tension is the reason this supplier category exists. Our article on how vitamin solubility affects absorption, bioavailability and formulation covers the ingredient-side chemistry in more detail.

What "clean label" Means for a Solubilization System

Neither the FDA nor EFSA defines "clean label." The Institute of Food Technologists describes it as a consumer-driven concept: products made with as few ingredients as possible, using ingredients consumers recognize as familiar. In practice, a beverage brand's clean-label specification is a list of excluded additives, and solubilization systems are judged against that list.

Three regulatory and scientific reference points shape many of those exclusion lists:

• Polysorbate 80. The FDA permits polysorbate 80 in specified food categories with use-level limits under 21 CFR 172.840. In the EU it is additive E433, and EFSA's 2015 re-evaluation of polysorbates E432 to E436 set an acceptable daily intake of 25 mg per kg body weight per day. It is legal and widely used, but it is a synthetic surfactant that clean-label specifications may exclude.

• Emulsifier and microbiome research. A 2015 study in Nature by Chassaing and colleagues reported that carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate 80 altered gut microbiota in mice and promoted low-grade inflammation. A subsequent randomized controlled feeding study in humans, published in Gastroenterology, reported that dietary carboxymethylcellulose altered the gut microbiota and metabolome. These findings do not change the regulatory status of either additive, but they are frequently cited by brands that exclude synthetic emulsifiers.

• Weighting agents. On July 2, 2024, the FDA revoked the regulation authorizing brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food after NIH-collaborative studies found potential for adverse health effects. BVO was used to keep citrus flavor oils from separating in beverages. The revocation illustrates how a long-permitted beverage emulsion ingredient can be withdrawn, and why formulators increasingly prefer systems that do not depend on weighting agents at all.

Natural-origin emulsifiers such as lecithin, acacia gum, quillaja extract and OSA-modified starch have their own regulatory records. Quillaia extract is the subject of FDA GRAS Notice 165, filed by the American Beverage Association for use as a foaming agent in beverages at up to 500 mg per kg. Acacia (gum arabic) is listed under 21 CFR 184.1330 following a 2005 Federal Register amendment. Starch sodium octenyl succinate (OSA starch, E1450) was included in EFSA's re-evaluation of 12 modified starches, which concluded an ADI "not specified." Whether a given brand accepts modified starch, quillaja or lecithin as clean-label is a commercial decision; the supplier's job is to disclose which one is in the system.

Supplier Landscape by Technology Class

The following sections are organized by mechanism rather than by company size, because the mechanism determines what the ingredient can and cannot do in a beverage. Claims attributed to each supplier come from their published materials; they are not independently verified here, and the appropriate response to any of them is a request for data.

1. Pre-Formed Micelle Systems

These suppliers deliver the active already encapsulated in surfactant micelles, typically as a liquid concentrate that disperses on addition to water.

• AquaNova (NovaSOL). The NovaSOL range uses micelles of approximately 30 nm and is offered for curcumin, coenzyme Q10 and other actives in beverages, softgels and functional foods. AquaNova cites clinical bioavailability data for curcumin. Marketplace listings describe specific variants as plant-based or naturally derived, but the published materials refer to "food-grade emulsifiers" without naming them, so the excipient list must be requested.

• Virun (ESOLV). ESOLV is a micellar liquid system with claimed particle diameters of 10 to 20 nm, positioned for food and beverage applications. Published excipient details are limited.

2. Lipid-Based Self-Emulsifying Systems (SMEDS, SNEDDS, colloidal lipids)

These systems are oil-based concentrates that form sub-micron droplets on contact with water or gastrointestinal fluid. Both suppliers below position their systems for clear beverages as well as supplements; the sub-100 nm droplet size claim should be verified over shelf life in the target matrix.

• Gencor (AquaCelle, LipiSperse). AquaCelle is a self-micro-emulsifying delivery system that Gencor positions for omega-3 and coenzyme Q10, with claimed bioavailability increases of up to about six-fold for omega-3 in published interviews. LipiSperse is a cold-water dispersion technology for powdered lipophilic actives.

• Geocann (VESIsorb). VESIsorb is a self-assembling lipid colloid that forms droplets below 100 nm on contact with aqueous media, applied mainly to cannabinoids and fat-soluble actives. Geocann publishes pharmacokinetic summaries claiming increased Cmax and AUC.

3. Phospholipid Complexes (phytosomes)

• Indena (Phytosome). Phytosome binds botanical actives to food-grade lecithin phospholipids rather than surrounding them with a surfactant shell. Indena offers water-dispersible powder grades and cites peer-reviewed bioavailability studies, including a quercetin phytosome trial. Published nano-phytosome particle sizes of about 76 to 115 nm are larger than micellar systems, so clarity data in the target beverage should be requested before specifying for clear formats.

• OmniActive (UltraSol, CurcuWIN). CurcuWIN is a water-dispersible curcumin produced on the UltraSol platform; OmniActive describes it as natural, clean label, vegan, kosher and halal, with self-affirmed GRAS status. The dispersion carrier is not fully itemized in public material.

4. Self-Emulsifying Powders

• Capsoil FoodTech. Capsoil converts oil-based actives into free-flowing powders that dissolve in hot or cold liquids, and states that its process uses no solvents, extraction or heat. The company targets functional coffee, stick packs and powdered beverages.

• Le Herbe. Cannabis-focused. Its white paper documents converting a nanoemulsion liquid with one-year stability into a powder with three-year stability.

5. Cannabinoid-specific beverage platforms

• Azuca (TiME Infusion, RTD ACTiVATOR). Azuca claims plant-based emulsifiers and, for its CX ACTiVATOR, surfactant-free encapsulation. In a published Q&A, the company reports pH stability from 3 to 7 with more than 90 percent potency retention at six months for its RTD system.

• SoRSE Technology. A cannabinoid emulsion supplier whose technical articles on requesting stability data from emulsion providers are a useful reference for any lipophilic active, not only cannabinoids.

6. Physical Processing with Natural Stabilizers

This is the category we occupy. Our proprietary physical processing method converts fat-soluble and insoluble actives into water-soluble liquid and powder ingredients using natural stabilizers, without synthetic emulsifiers or chemical processing. We publish active payloads of 10 percent or more, real-time stability of 24 months or longer including after pasteurization or UHT treatment, and stability through carbonation and freezing. Ingredients we currently supply in water-soluble form include omega-3 from any source, vitamins A, D, E and K, curcumin, creatine, ashwagandha, magnesium, lion's mane, chaga, reishi, cordyceps, lutein and astaxanthin. Our facilities are kosher, halal, organic and SQF certified, and the ingredients are produced under FDA GRAS and EFSA-compliant frameworks.

Distribution runs through two partnerships. Symrise launches an Active Living portfolio of Infusd-enabled water-soluble ingredients through its Taste, Nutrition & Health division, including omega-3. Caldic North America markets our water-soluble vitamin D. We make the same recommendation for our own ingredients as for every other supplier in this article: request the stability traces, particle-size data and full excipient declaration before specifying.

Supporting Systems From Large Ingredient Houses

Symrise, Caldic, ADM, Kerry, dsm-firmenich, Givaudan (Naturex), Tate & Lyle and Nexira supply flavor masking, hydrocolloid stabilizers, clouding agents, citrus oils and application support for functional beverages. Symrise's own analysis of omega-3 in beverages is a clear statement of the taste and oxidation problems these companies address. They typically do not publish single-ingredient solubilizer dossiers; their value is formulation support and the ability to combine a solubilized active with a compatible flavor and stabilizer system from one source.

Matching the Technology Class to the Beverage Format

Supplier claims point to the following fit, which should be confirmed in bench trials in the actual matrix:

• Clear still and carbonated water: pre-formed micelles, sub-100 nm lipid colloids, or physically processed water-soluble actives. Turbidity (NTU or percent transmittance) over shelf life is the critical specification.

• Hot-fill, pasteurized and UHT RTD: systems with documented thermal challenge data. Our ingredients are tested through pasteurization and UHT; Capsoil and Azuca publish thermal and pH claims for their systems.

• Powdered stick packs and hot beverages: self-emulsifying powders or spray-dried water-soluble powders.

• Opaque dairy and plant-based milks: clarity is not a constraint, so selection turns on oxidation protection, taste and stability in the protein matrix. Head-to-head bench tests in this matrix are more reliable than supplier claims.

• Gummies and shots: high payload per gram matters most, because the format limits the ingredient mass that can be included. Our pill-fatigue article outlines why these formats are growing.

What to Request From Any Supplier Before Specifying

Public supplier materials rarely include full excipient lists, numeric payloads, or stability data under processing. The following checklist, drawn from the data gaps across the suppliers above and from the stability guidance published by SoRSE, covers what a product development team should obtain in writing:

1. Full ingredient and excipient declaration with the US common or usual name and the EU additive name or E-number for each component. This is the only way to test a "clean label" claim against your own specification.

2. Payload expressed as mg active per gram of ingredient and as percent w/w, plus the recommended use level to reach your target dose per serving.

3. Particle size distribution (d10, d50, d90 or Z-average), the measurement method, and how it changes at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months.

4. Stability data in a beverage matrix, not only in the concentrate: turbidity, creaming index, and potency retention at defined storage conditions and at your target pH.

5. Processing tolerance: pasteurization or UHT time and temperature validated, carbonation, freeze-thaw and hot-fill results.

6. Oxidation data for omega-3 and other oxidation-sensitive actives: peroxide value, TBARS or induction time compared with the unformulated oil.

7. Sensory data on bitterness, aftertaste and interaction with common flavor systems.

8. Regulatory file: GRAS notice or self-affirmation dossier, EU novel food status where relevant, allergen statement, heavy metal and microbiological specifications.

9. Certifications with scope: organic, non-GMO, kosher, halal, and the facility's food safety certification (for example SQF, BRC or FSSC).

10. Commercial terms: minimum order quantity, lead time and price bands, which the suppliers reviewed here do not publish in their public materials.

A supplier that cannot provide items 1 through 5 has not demonstrated that its ingredient will survive in your beverage, regardless of what the datasheet describes.

How We Approach Clean-Label Solubilization

Our position in this landscape is specific. We do not supply flavor creation or hydrocolloid stabilizer blends, and we do not use micelle-forming synthetic surfactants. We apply a physical process with natural stabilizers to produce ingredients that dissolve in water at a payload of 10 percent or more, taste neutral, and hold through pasteurization, carbonation and freezing for at least 24 months in real-time studies. The same platform applies to natural colors, flavor systems, natural preservatives and spice extracts, where the goal is clear, stable solutions without chemical emulsifiers, weighting agents or alcohol carriers.

We do not claim that this approach suits every application. Phytosome and lipid-based systems have longer published clinical records for specific actives, and large ingredient houses offer breadth we do not. For teams whose constraint is a clean-label specification that excludes synthetic emulsifiers while still requiring a clear, high-dose, shelf-stable beverage, we invite a formulation discussion and will supply the documentation listed above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which suppliers offer clean-label solubilization for omega-3 in beverages?

Suppliers that publicly position omega-3 beverage solutions include Gencor (AquaCelle self-micro-emulsifying system), AquaNova (NovaSOL micelles), Infusd (physically processed water-soluble omega-3 from any source, distributed in part through Symrise), and the application labs of Symrise, Kerry and dsm-firmenich. Omega-3 is oxidation-prone, so the comparison should include peroxide values or TBARS in the finished beverage, not only solubility.

Is polysorbate 80 banned in food?

No. Polysorbate 80 is permitted in the United States under 21 CFR 172.840 and in the EU as E433, where EFSA set an ADI of 25 mg per kg body weight per day in 2015. Clean-label programs exclude it because it is a synthetic surfactant and because of microbiome research in mice and humans, not because of a regulatory prohibition.

Which natural emulsifiers are commonly accepted as clean label?

Lecithin, acacia gum (gum arabic), quillaja extract and OSA-modified starch are natural-origin emulsifiers with established regulatory records. Acceptance varies by brand: some exclude modified starches, some exclude soy lecithin for allergen reasons, and some accept only ingredients consumers recognize by name. Platforms that use natural stabilizers in a physical process, such as ours, are an alternative when the brand specification excludes added emulsifiers entirely.

What particle size is needed for a clear functional beverage?

Droplets or particles below about 100 nm scatter little visible light, and nanoemulsion literature describes systems in the 5 to 100 nm range as optically transparent. Suppliers in this article report 10 to 30 nm for micellar systems and under 100 nm for lipid colloids. Initial particle size matters less than particle size at the end of shelf life, so request time-course data.

How much active can a water-soluble ingredient carry?

Payload varies widely by platform and active, and published figures are sparse and not comparable across actives. A NovaSOL Q10 marketplace listing shows 5 percent, we publish 10 percent or more across our range, and cannabinoid-specific systems quote 30 mg to 300 mg per gram depending on format. Most suppliers do not publish a general payload, so request it per active. Higher payload reduces the carrier mass in the beverage and the amount of stabilizer on the label, which matters most in gummies, shots and stick packs.

Does "clean label" have a legal definition?

No. Neither the FDA nor EFSA defines the term. The Institute of Food Technologists describes it as a consumer-driven concept centered on short ingredient lists and recognizable ingredients. Each brand therefore sets its own exclusion list, and supplier claims should be checked against that list using the full excipient declaration.

This article is intended for product development professionals and provides general information about ingredient technology. It is not medical advice. Consumers should consult a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement or functional product.