Cla
CLA, conjugated linoleic acid, is a collective name for the positional and geometric isomers of octadecadienoic acid in which the two double bonds sit on adjacent carbon pairs rather than being separated by a methylene group as they are in ordinary linoleic acid. The two isomers of commercial interest are cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12, and the standard trade material is an approximately equal mixture of the two.
It occurs naturally in the fat and milk of ruminants, formed by rumen bacteria during the biohydrogenation of dietary linoleic acid, but the concentrations there are too low for supplement manufacture, so commercial CLA is made by isomerising the linoleic acid of safflower or sunflower oil. Trade forms are a pale yellow oil, either free fatty acids or triglycerides, and a spray dried powder in which the oil is encapsulated.
Chemically it behaves as a polyunsaturated fatty acid preparation. It is insoluble in water, miscible with oils and organic solvents, and liquid at room temperature. The conjugated diene system makes it more prone to oxidation than linoleic acid, so it is packed under nitrogen with added tocopherols and held cool and away from light. Free fatty acid grades are acidic and can attack softgel shells if the formulation is not adjusted, which is one reason the triglyceride form is often preferred.
We source bulk Cla from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Shandong. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
or call +86-21-6858 0751
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Clear pale yellow oily liquid |
| Odour and Taste | Bland, free from rancid notes |
| Total CLA (of fatty acids) | ≥ 78.0% |
| cis-9, trans-11 Isomer | 36.0 to 40.0% |
| trans-10, cis-12 Isomer | 36.0 to 40.0% |
| Identification | Conforms by gas chromatography fatty acid profile |
| Acid Value (triglyceride grade) | ≤ 2.0 mg KOH/g |
| Peroxide Value | ≤ 5.0 meq/kg |
| Anisidine Value | ≤ 10 |
| Moisture and Volatiles | ≤ 0.1% |
| Unsaponifiable Matter | ≤ 1.5% |
| Residual Solvent | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
| Lead | ≤ 0.1 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 0.1 mg/kg |
| Mercury | ≤ 0.1 mg/kg |
| Total Plate Count | ≤ 1,000 cfu/g |
Common Markets Grades
The chemical form is the first distinction. Free fatty acid CLA is the direct product of the alkali isomerisation and is the cheapest form. Triglyceride CLA is made by re-esterifying those fatty acids onto glycerol, and is chosen for softgels and for use in food because it is less acidic and more stable in a matrix. Ethyl ester grades exist but are a minor line.
Assay is the second axis. Total CLA is normally specified at 78 to 80 percent minimum on the fatty acid fraction for standard oil grades, with the two active isomers each stated separately, usually at 35 to 40 percent apiece and their ratio close to one to one. Higher purity grades above 85 percent total CLA are traded at a premium. Powder grades, produced by spray drying an emulsion of the oil with a gum arabic or modified starch wall, run at 50 to 75 percent oil load and are specified additionally on moisture, particle size and free surface oil.
Applications
- Softgel capsules in the weight management and body composition supplement category, the largest single application
- Tablets and hard capsules using the powder form, where an oil fill is impractical
- Sports nutrition powders and ready to mix shakes, blended as the microencapsulated powder
- Functional dairy drinks and yoghurts, added as a powder or emulsion to a chilled base
- Nutrition bars and confectionery, where the encapsulated form protects the conjugated diene from oxidation
- Fortified spreads and margarines, blended into the fat phase
- Animal feed for pigs and poultry, where it is used to alter carcass fat composition
- Pet supplements aimed at body condition, sold as an oil or a powder premix
- Meal replacement and clinical nutrition formulations, as a specialty lipid component
Brands Using Cla
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Cla on the ingredient label.
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Cla
Top Cla manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
Regulatory Status
In the United States, specific CLA preparations are the subject of GRAS notifications to which the FDA responded without objection, covering defined uses in food and beverages at stated levels, and CLA is also widely sold as a dietary ingredient under the dietary supplement framework. The GRAS position attaches to the particular preparation and its specification rather than to conjugated linoleic acid in general, so the notification covering the material in hand should be identified. Structure and function claims must be substantiated and carry the required disclaimer.
In the European Union, CLA preparations were assessed under the novel food regulation and specified CLA-rich oils are listed in the Union list of authorised novel foods for use in food supplements, with the conditions of use and the specification set out there. Authorisation is tied to the specific preparation and its manufacturing route. CLA is not a food additive and carries no E number. Health claims made in the Union must appear on the authorised list. Where the material is used in feed, it must comply with the feed additive framework. JECFA has not issued a specification monograph for conjugated linoleic acid.
Manufacturing Process
Safflower or sunflower oil, chosen because their fatty acid profiles are 70 percent or more linoleic acid, is first split into free fatty acids and glycerol, either by high pressure steam hydrolysis or by saponification with alkali followed by acidulation. The fatty acid mixture then goes through alkali isomerisation, the key transformation: it is heated with potassium or sodium hydroxide in propylene glycol or a similar high boiling solvent at around 150 to 180 degrees Celsius under nitrogen, and the base abstracts an allylic proton so that the methylene interrupted diene of linoleic acid migrates into the conjugated arrangement. Reaction time and temperature set the isomer distribution, and the process is tuned to favour the cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12 pair over the unwanted trans, trans isomers.
The reaction mass is neutralised with acid, the solvent is recovered, and the crude fatty acids are washed and dried. Saturated and unreacted fatty acids are removed by low temperature crystallisation from solvent or by short path molecular distillation, which raises the CLA assay to the target level. For the triglyceride form the purified fatty acids are re-esterified with glycerol, usually under lipase catalysis at moderate temperature to avoid isomer damage, and the excess fatty acid is stripped by distillation. The finished oil is deodorised under vacuum, dosed with tocopherols and filled under nitrogen. Powder grades are made by emulsifying the oil with a carrier and spray drying the emulsion.