N°65 -- Ingrédients / Plantes Natinov: at the heart of The company, which produces plant-based concentrated extracts in powder or liquid form for food supplements (over half of its business), cosmetics, animal feed and the pharmaceutical industry, processes over 170 plants of French and exotic origin. If Natinov initially proposed only custom- made extracts, since recently it develops its own range of extracts and finished product formulations based on extracts as part of what may be called a “full-service” strategy. Natinov is at the heart of plants.Literally and figuratively. On theone hand, because the companyneed to make tradition meet with tech-y.” Tradition in plant sourcing andnologidentification. “We process 170 botanical set up in 2001 (taken over by the Bordeaux- species and privilegetheir French origin.” based group Laffort specializing in oeno- Modernity, and therefore technology, in logy research) is located nearby Chemillé, the processing techniques and technolo- which is the cradle of medicinal and aro- gies used. “Our site (Editor’s note: 3000 076 matic plants - in the region of Angers, not m2 in total, including the offices, quality very far from Itepmai (see the dedicated control and development laboratory) is article). On the other hand, as underlined structured according to the ‘lead forward’ by Christophe Ripoll, its CEO: “it is impos-principle and has been certified by the sible to obtain good extracts if you don’t French National Agency for the Safety of have good raw materials. This is why, we Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) for the manufacture of plant-based pharma- ceutical ingredients.” ◗A multi-purpose site FRESH BUD GLYCEROL MACERATES “The economic model of an operator in Natinov also produces fresh bud glycerol our sector is defined by the size ofist macerates (Editor’s note: fresh buds maceration industrial equipment.” Natinov has a 12 m3 in a glycerine/water mixture for a minimum extractor (water or solvent). When exiting of three weeks). They fall under the scope from this latter, the liquid extracts are either of gemmotherapy, a phytotherapy practice preserved as such or concentrated and mainly employed by naturopaths, alone or dried. Several operations are necessary to in combination with phytotherapy products. achieve this: vacuum evaporation, drying, Gemmotherapy promotes the traditional grinding - each of them carried out in dis- usage of plants and relies on the specific tinct airlocks. “We are currently focused features of fresh buds, as these latter contain on spray drying,” Christophe Ripoll says. plant growth hormones. In total, 53 botanical The dry powder extracts can then be mixed species are used, including blackberry, (Natinov has three mixers in a controlled alder, birch. They are procured from secured atmosphere room). supply chains via a network of producers. Applied to liquids, which are separated from powders, the “lead forward” prin- ciple involves several stages and as many workshops: maceration of small and large ■ / Octobre - Novembre - Décembre 2018 / N°65 / L’Actualité des Ingrédients Fonctionnels & Santé