In the production process of probiotic active folic acid powder, the raw material pretreatment link is the basis for ensuring the activity of the ingredients. Probiotic strains need to be screened and activated in a low temperature environment to avoid high temperature causing strain inactivation. The culture medium used in the activation process needs to strictly control the pH value to provide a suitable growth environment for probiotics. Folic acid raw materials need to be purified to remove impurities that may affect its stability. At the same time, microencapsulation technology is used to initially protect folic acid so that it can reduce direct contact with external factors in subsequent processing.
Temperature and humidity control of the production environment is crucial. The entire production line needs to maintain a constant low temperature environment, usually controlled within a low temperature range, to avoid temperature fluctuations affecting the two components. Air humidity also needs to be strictly controlled. Excessive humidity will cause the probiotic active folic acid powder to absorb moisture and agglomerate, destroying the cell structure of probiotics and the chemical stability of folic acid. The air in the production workshop needs to be filtered at multiple levels to reduce microbial contamination, prevent miscellaneous bacteria from competing for nutrients with probiotics, and prevent pollutants from adhering to the surface of folic acid to cause degradation.
The design of the mixing process focuses on mildness and uniformity. Traditional high-speed stirring and mixing easily generates heat and shear force, which may damage the probiotic bacteria and folic acid molecular structure. Therefore, low-speed double-helix mixing equipment is often used to fully blend the two components through slow tumbling. Inert gas is also introduced during the mixing process to isolate oxygen, because oxygen not only oxidizes folic acid, but also inhibits the activity of probiotics. The protection of inert gas can create a stable microenvironment for the two components.
Low-temperature freeze-drying technology is used in the drying process to maximize the activity of the components. The mixed materials are frozen below the freezing point to convert the water into ice crystals, and then the water is removed by sublimation in a vacuum environment, avoiding the damage of conventional high-temperature drying to probiotics and folic acid. During the freeze-drying process, the vacuum degree and heating rate must be accurately controlled to ensure that the water is completely removed without causing the probiotics to be inactivated or the folic acid molecular structure to change due to a sudden temperature rise. The dried probiotic active folic acid powder has an extremely low water content, which can reduce the impact of the hydrolysis reaction on the components.
The sterilization process must take into account both the effect and the protection of the components. The production line uses non-thermal sterilization technologies such as ultraviolet light or pulsed electric field to replace traditional high-temperature sterilization. While killing microorganisms on the surface of raw materials and equipment, it avoids high temperature damage to probiotics and folic acid. For packaging materials, sterilization is required to ensure that they will not introduce contaminants. At the same time, the selection of packaging materials must have good barrier properties to prevent external microorganisms from entering the product and affecting the stability of the two ingredients.
The filling and sealing links pursue efficiency and sealing. The filling process is carried out in a sterile clean room. The contact parts between the equipment and the probiotic active folic acid powder are made of food-grade stainless steel and are sterilized at low temperatures. The filling speed must be precisely controlled to avoid the probiotic active folic acid powder from being exposed to the air for too long and reduce contact with oxygen and moisture. Heat sealing technology is used during sealing to ensure the sealing of the packaging. At the same time, the heat sealing temperature and time are repeatedly debugged. Under the premise of ensuring a firm seal, high temperature is prevented from being transmitted to the inside to destroy the activity of the ingredients. After sealing, leak detection will also be performed to prevent the seal from failing due to tiny gaps.
The process connection between finished product storage and transportation is indispensable. Finished products must be immediately transferred to a low-temperature storage environment, and the storage temperature must be consistent with that of the production workshop to prevent temperature changes from causing moisture migration inside the probiotic active folic acid powder. During transportation, refrigerated vehicles with temperature control functions are used to monitor temperature data throughout the process to ensure that the product is always in suitable storage conditions before it reaches the hands of consumers. Clear storage temperature reminders will also be marked on the outside of the packaging to guide the correct storage in subsequent links, forming a complete active protection chain from production to use.
