CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA — CannPal Animal Therapeutics, an animal health company offering functional, plant-based therapeutic products for companion animals, has partnered with an Australian co-manufacturer after formulating its newest joint health supplement for dogs with help from CSIRO.

CSIRO is Australia’s national science agency and one of the top science and technology researchers in several fields, including food processing. CannPal partnered with CSIRO’s manufacturing and agriculture team and food teams to formulate the product for optimal stability and nutritional value using its MicroMAX patented microencapsulation technology.

"With their experts in microencapsulation and bioactive delivery, CSIRO was able to transform our therapeutic oil into a format suitable for use as a bioactive ingredient, providing a key point of difference for our joint health supplement,” said Layton Mills, founder and managing director at CannPal. “[CSIRO’s] contribution has provided significant value not only to our R&D activities, but also to our commercialization journey."

Microencapsulation of key ingredients helped CannPal develop a product that was all-natural and offered improved absorption, efficacy and bioavailability. The use of sensitive ingredients, including hemp oil, ß-caryophyllene, gingerols, boswellic acids and rosemary, necessitates extra protection during processing and through consumption to maintain and deliver the appropriate amount of nutrients to the animal.

CSIRO originally developed its MicroMAX microencapsulation solution to stabilize Omega 3 fatty acids and other bioactive ingredients for food products, namely infant foods.

The process uses a natural food-grade microencapsulation coating for plant-based ingredients, which protect those ingredients from light, heat, air and stomach acids until they are activated during digestion.

The solution provides oxidative stability and shelf life, as well as an improved method of delivering active ingredients to the gastrointestinal tract.

The development of CannPal’s latest dog supplement was funded by CSIRO’s Kick-Start program, which assists startups with research and development. Partnership efforts between the two companies were led by Dr. Ben Muir, senior research scientist for CSIRO.

CannPal continues to work with CSIRO to optimize and scale-up the process, entering an exclusive licensing agreement for the use of its MicroMAX technology.

CannPal plans to grow locally as well as overseas in the United States, CSIRO stated.

CannPal’s joint supplements, Max by CannPal, are formulated with real animal meats and without grain, gluten, GMOs or artificial preservatives. They are intended to reduce inflammation in dogs to support hip and joint support.

Read more about product development, ingredients and formulation.