Definition:

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OmniMixer®Amino acids premix Health Benefits:

OmniMixer®Amino acids premix is a product made by mixing various amino acids, such as lysine, methionine, threonine, and tryptophan, in specific proportions. It is used to fortify food, develop functional foods, and create special dietary supplements. Its production and application require multidisciplinary technologies and consideration of safety, uniformity, stability, and functionality. The technical core of OmniMixer®Amino acids premix production is "safety as the foundation, precision as the priority, and stability as the standard," which encompasses the integration of technologies across the entire supply chain, from raw material production to end-use applications.

Raw material control for OmniMixer®Amino acids premix is a core element in ensuring the safety, purity, and functionality of the final product, involving technical control throughout the entire process from raw material selection and production to purification and quality inspection.

Raw material control for OmniMixer®Amino acids premix:

Product Specifications:

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Product quality standards:

● Food grade, Feed grade, Infant formula, In-house

▶ Maintaining basic physiological functions

OmniMixer®Amino acids premix Applications:

Amino acids are the basic building blocks of proteins, which are essential components of cells and tissues (such as muscles, bones, skin, and hair). OmniMixer®Amino acids premix contains essential amino acids that the human body cannot synthesise on its own (such as lysine, methionine, and leucine). Supplementing these amino acids ensures an adequate supply of ‘raw materials’ for protein synthesis, preventing issues such as muscle loss and slow tissue repair caused by amino acid deficiencies.

■ Supplier onboarding and dynamic management

Richtek has established a system for admitting raw material suppliers. This system requires suppliers to provide food-grade certification documents (e.g., FCC, USP) and descriptions of their production processes. For example, suppliers must provide proof of microbial strain safety for fermentation methods. The supply chain traceability system verifies the source of raw materials to avoid the use of recycled materials, industrial-grade raw materials, or contaminated intermediate products.

OmniMixer®Amino acids premix is available in the following specification and contents, customized according to requirements:

☑  OmniMixer®Amino acids premix

☑  OmniMixer®Amino acids and vitamins premix

Adding OmniMixer®Amino acids premix to grain products, dairy products, and beverages can supplement essential amino acids often lacking in food, enhancing their nutritional value. To address insufficient amino acid intake in the diet, health supplements containing multiple essential amino acids have been developed for the nutritional needs of the general population, particularly office workers, the elderly, and others with unbalanced diets. Sports nutrition supplements premixes centered on branched-chain amino acids are commonly used in sports supplements to reduce muscle breakdown, alleviate fatigue, and promote post-exercise recovery. Infants and young children have strict amino acid requirements and cannot synthesize all essential amino acids on their own. Therefore, premixes should be added to infant formula, rice cereal, and other formula foods according to the amino acid ratios found in breast milk to ensure adequate intake for growth and development. Individuals with gastrointestinal, liver, or kidney disease; cancer; or those recovering from surgery or experiencing difficulty eating require special medical formula foods with precise adjustments to amino acid composition.

Adding OmniMixer®Amino acids premix to livestock and aquatic feed balances the feed's amino acid ratio, reduces the use of protein raw materials (such as soybean and fish meal), and lowers farming costs. Adding specific amino acid supplements can boost animal immunity and reduce disease.

■ Raw material receiving inspection

Richtek has a wide range of advanced testing equipment and expertise. The OmniMixer®Amino acids premix undergoes precise testing and verification to ensure that only high-quality raw materials are used in the production process.

Purity and composition testing technology: The amino acid automatic analyzer uses an ion exchange column to separate samples, followed by quantification via indophenol color development to determine purity and isomer content. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with derivatization reagents detects trace impurities.

Safety indicator testing technology: Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detects heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and mercury. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detects pesticide residues, such as organophosphorus pesticides introduced in fermentation raw materials, while the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) rapidly screens for pathogenic bacteria.

Functional indicator verification technology: For special functional amino acids (such as branched-chain amino acids), verify their bioavailability through in vitro digestion models (e.g., simulated gastrointestinal fluid digestion). The optical rotation of amino acids is detected to ensure correct configuration.

■ Storage condition control

Richtek prevents raw materials from degrading, absorbing moisture, or becoming contaminated during storage. This maintains the stability of their physical and chemical properties and ensures strict management of product storage.

Moisture-proof and antioxidant technology: Double-layer packaging is used: an inner aluminum foil bag and an outer kraft paper bag. After vacuum sealing, nitrogen gas is injected to prevent easily oxidizable amino acids, such as methionine and cysteine, from degrading due to oxygen exposure. For highly hygroscopic amino acids, such as lysine hydrochloride and arginine, food-grade desiccants, such as silica gel, are added, and the humidity and temperature of the storage environment are strictly controlled.

Cross-contamination prevention technology: Raw material warehouses implement "zoned storage," which physically separates food-grade amino acids from non-food-grade raw materials (such as feed-grade amino acids), preventing shared shelving or transportation equipment. First-in, first-out management is adopted. QR codes are used to trace the intake times of raw materials, ensuring they are used within their shelf life and avoiding quality degradation caused by prolonged storage.

Customized formulation capabilities for OmniMixer®Amino acids premix:

The customisation of OmniMixer®Amino acids premix formulations is a core process that involves scientifically designing the composition, proportions and auxiliary components of amino acids to meet the needs of specific application scenarios (such as infant formula, sports nutrition products, and special medical purpose formula foods), thereby achieving precise nutritional supply, functional enhancement and product stability.

■ Demand-oriented nutritional modelling technology

Based on the physiological characteristics of the target population (such as age, metabolic status, and disease requirements), establish a quantitative model for amino acid requirements to ensure that the formulation meets nutritional needs and avoids excess or deficiency.

Population-specific nutritional needs analysis technology: Based on the amino acid profiles established by the Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Committee, determine the minimum requirements for essential amino acids such as leucine, lysine, and methionine. For special populations (e.g., infants and young children), the amino acid composition should align with that of breast milk, with particular emphasis on the ratios of cysteine and tyrosine to reduce the metabolic burden on the liver and kidneys. For athletes, the proportion of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) should be increased to promote muscle synthesis and reduce post-exercise fatigue.

Nutritional requirement quantification tools: Use the Amino Acid Score (AAS) or the Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) to evaluate the formulation's rationality and ensure that the primary limiting amino acid meets the standard. Use a metabolic kinetic model to simulate the absorption and utilization efficiency of amino acids in the body and optimize the release rate of amino acids in the formulation.

■ Amino acid synergistic and antagonistic regulation technology

Amino acids may exhibit synergistic effects (e.g., methionine and cysteine share metabolic pathways) or antagonistic interactions (e.g., lysine and arginine compete for absorption carriers). Formulation design must balance these ratios to prevent reduced nutrient utilisation efficiency.

Synergistic enhancement technology: Combining essential amino acids with conditionally essential amino acids. For instance, methionine (an essential amino acid) and cysteine (a conditionally essential amino acid) are added in a 1:1 ratio. Cysteine can be synthesized from methionine, which reduces the accumulation of homocysteine caused by excessive methionine intake. Excessive homocysteine intake increases cardiovascular risk.

Antagonistic interaction avoidance technology: Control the ratio of competitive amino acids. Keep the lysine-to-arginine ratio at ≤2:1 (controlled at 1.5:1 in infant formula) to prevent excessive lysine from inhibiting arginine absorption and affecting the urea cycle.

■ Functional and palatability co-design technology

In addition to nutritional functions, formulations must also consider the product's eating experience (e.g., masking bitterness) and specific functions (e.g., promoting absorption, targeted action).

Functional enhancement technology: Add oligosaccharides or amino acid transporter activators to increase amino acid bioavailability. For amino acids targeting the intestines (e.g., glutamine), use enteric-coated materials (e.g., hydroxypropyl methylcellulose phthalate) to prevent stomach degradation.

Palatability improvement technology: Add natural sweeteners (e.g., stevioside, 0.01%-0.05%) to mask bitterness. To mask the fishy odor produced by sulfur-containing amino acids, add citrus essential oil (0.005%-0.01%) or vanilla extract to improve the flavor through olfactory masking.

Stabilisation technology for OmniMixer®Amino acids premix:

The stability and formulation of OmniMixer®Amino acids premix products are key factors in achieving industrial-scale production, ensuring shelf-life quality, and adapting to diverse application scenarios (such as solid beverages, baked goods, and special medical formulas). The former focuses on inhibiting the degradation and deterioration of amino acids during storage and processing, while the latter achieves convenient use, functional optimisation, and expanded applicability through form design.

■ Ultra-fine grinding technology

The pneumatic mill grinds amino acids into particles sized 10–50 μm, which have a large specific surface area and dissolve faster. This process avoids the rough texture caused by coarse particles. OmniMixer®Amino acids premix typically contains multiple components. Significant differences in particle size can lead to ‘stratification.’ After ultra-fine grinding, all raw material particle sizes become consistent, enabling mixing uniformity (CV value, coefficient of variation) ≤5%, far below the 10–15% achieved by conventional grinding, ensuring batch consistency of the product.

■ Rapid dissolution and dispersion optimization technology

Dispersants, such as oligosaccharides or xanthan gum (added at a concentration of 1–3%), reduce surface tension and accelerate the dispersion of powder in water. For hydrophobic amino acids, such as leucine, a "granulation-to-powder" process is used to enhance hydrophilicity. This process first forms particles containing surfactants, which are then ground.

■ Granulation process Technology

In wet granulation, amino acids are mixed with excipients, such as starch. Then, a binder, such as a hydroxypropyl methylcellulose solution, is added to form a soft material.

This material is granulated using a swing granulator and then dried. This method is suitable for heat-stable amino acids, such as lysine. In contrast, dry granulation directly compresses powder into large sheets that are crushed into granules without moisture. This method is suitable for heat-sensitive amino acids, such as glutamine, as it avoids degradation caused by high temperatures or moisture. Dual-layer granule technology features an outer layer of fast-release amino acids (e.g., branched-chain amino acids) and an inner layer of sustained-release amino acids (e.g., tryptophan coated with ethyl cellulose). This technology achieves both rapid onset of action and sustained release.

■ Microencapsulation technology

Encapsulating amino acids within a wall material with a particle size of 1–100μm achieves "isolation and protection," "controlled release," and "masking of odors," making it suitable for functional foods.The wall material must meet food-grade standards and be selected based on its functionality. Water-soluble wall materials (e.g., gelatin and maltodextrin) are ideal for fast-release microcapsules, which dissolve and release rapidly in water. Enteric-coated materials are suitable for targeted intestinal release because they do not dissolve in the stomach but rather at intestinal pH. Controlled-release materials (e.g., beeswax or ethyl cellulose) control the release rate by degrading at a specific pace. Encapsulation processes include spray drying (suitable for water-soluble wall materials), emulsification-solidification, and co-precipitation.

High-precision mixing technology for OmniMixer®Amino acids premix:

■ Mixing equipment selection technology

The selection of mixing equipment should be based on the physical properties of the amino acid raw materials, such as particle size, density, hygroscopicity, and flowability, as well as the complexity of the premix formulation. The core objective is to achieve "efficient mixing, low residue, and easy cleaning."

A double-screw conical mixer has two non-symmetrical screw blades that rotate inside a conical cylinder. This causes the material to rise along the axis and spread radially, creating a composite effect of convective and shear mixing. This mixer is suitable for premixes containing multiple amino acids (such as lysine, methionine, and tryptophan) with small differences in particle size (after ultra-fine grinding).

The horizontal screw ribbon mixer features counter-rotating inner and outer screw ribbons. The inner ribbon pushes the material toward the ends while the outer ribbon pulls the material toward the center, creating forced convective circulation. Simultaneously, the gap between the screw ribbons and the cylinder wall generates shear force, breaking up particle agglomerations. This mixer is suitable for premixes containing additives, such as maltodextrin or microcrystalline cellulose, or formulations with mildly hygroscopic amino acids, such as cysteine, in the raw materials.

■ Mixed process parameter optimization technology

Achieving optimal mixing results requires balancing the relationship between mixing time, rotational speed, and load capacity through parameter optimization to avoid over- or under-mixing.

Richtek determines the optimal time through "uniformity verification experiments," matches the rotational speed with the loading capacity, and optimizes the feeding sequence. Following the principle of adding materials with larger quantities and moderate density first, followed by materials with smaller quantities and significant density differences, the difficulty of dispersing trace components is reduced. First, add the base carrier, followed by the main amino acids. Finally, add the trace amino acids, which can be premixed with a small amount of carrier using the "dilution method" before being added to the mixer.

The production of immune cells, such as lymphocytes and antibodies, depends on amino acids. For instance, arginine promotes the proliferation of immune cells, while glutamine serves as an essential energy source for them. Taking OmniMixer®Amino acids premix can help maintain normal immune cell function and enhance the body's resistance, especially for people with weak constitutions and those in the postoperative recovery period.

▶ Immune health

During exercise, muscles break down amino acids for energy. Supplementing with a premix containing branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) can reduce muscle damage, relieve post-exercise fatigue, and promote physical recovery. At the same time, amino acids promote insulin secretion, helping muscles absorb glucose and protein, and aiding in post-exercise muscle repair and growth.

▶ Boost athletic performance and physical recovery