Verification of Nutraceutical Raw Ingredients Directly Through Packaging

Importance of the Topic

Nutraceuticals, including vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids and botanical extracts, play an increasing role in health and wellness. Ensuring their identity, purity and compliance with regulatory requirements is critical for product safety and quality. Traditional testing methods require opening packaging and lengthy laboratory workflows. A portable, non-destructive technique capable of rapid, through-barrier verification can significantly streamline raw material release and enhance good manufacturing practice (cGMP) compliance.

Objectives and Study Overview

This study evaluated the performance of the Agilent Vaya handheld Raman spectrometer, which employs Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS), for identification of nutraceutical raw materials in both transparent and opaque packaging. Fifteen samples across four classes were tested through clear glass, and two samples were analyzed inside a white high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottle. Materials included:

• Fatty acids: olive oil, rapeseed oil, flaxseed oil, fish oil, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)
• Vitamins: vitamin A palmitate, vitamin B3, vitamin C
• Amino acids: L-carnitine, L-arginine, L-lysine HCl
• Botanical extracts/nutritional markers: D-glucosamine, cranberry extract, ginseng root, hydrolyzed collagen, resveratrol, turmeric

Methodology and Instrumentation

The Agilent Vaya handheld Raman spectrometer uses SORS with an 830 nm laser to collect offset and zero-offset spectra. By subtracting the container-rich zero-offset spectrum from the subsurface-rich offset spectrum, a container-free material fingerprint is obtained. Measurements were performed directly through clear glass and opaque HDPE bottles, without unsealing the packaging. The built-in decision engine provides rapid pass/fail results on-screen.

Key Results and Discussion

Through clear glass containers, all 15 nutraceutical samples produced strong, well-defined Raman signatures. Each class exhibited characteristic features:

• Fatty acids displayed carbonyl peaks near 1650 cm⁻¹ and CH2/CH3 modes around 1450 cm⁻¹, with unique variations distinguishing each oil and CLA.
• Vitamins and amino acids yielded distinct spectra, facilitating unambiguous identification despite chemical similarities.
• Botanical extracts, which can fluoresce under laser excitation, were successfully measured using the 830 nm excitation to minimize fluorescence interference.

Through opaque HDPE, D-glucosamine and vitamin C spectra were cleanly recovered, demonstrating effective container subtraction and confirming SORS capability for nontransparent packaging.

Benefits and Practical Applications

• Non-destructive testing without opening sealed containers.
• Rapid on-site verification reduces material hold times from days to seconds.
• Straightforward pass/fail display simplifies decision making for warehouse and QC personnel.
• Supports cGMP identity testing requirements for dietary supplements.

Future Trends and Possibilities

Integration of handheld SORS devices into digital quality systems and laboratory information management (LIMS) can further automate raw material onboarding. Advances in chemometric algorithms may extend identification to complex blends and detect low-level adulterants. Expanded use in opaque and multi-layer packaging formats will broaden applicability across the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical supply chains.

Conclusion

The Agilent Vaya handheld Raman spectrometer with SORS technology enables rapid, accurate identification of a wide range of nutraceutical raw ingredients directly through packaging. Its ease of use, non-destructive nature and compliance with regulatory requirements make it an effective tool for modern quality control and cGMP workflows.

References

1. Dietary Supplements, US FDA Office of Dietary Supplement Programs, 2023.
2. Directive 2002/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on food supplements, 2002.
3. Prulliere F.; Welsby C. Identification of Commercially Available Oligonucleotide Starting Materials Directly Through Containers. Agilent Technologies Application Note 5994-4239EN, 2021.