Chemistry meets sports: Enhancing anti-caking properties in instant sports drinks

Powder handling is a crucial challenge in sports nutrition, where flowability, stability, and consistency define both product quality and production efficiency. In this session, OQEMA and Evonik explore how advanced silica and silicate technologies can optimise instant sports drink formulations by preventing caking, improving flow, and ensuring a smooth manufacturing process.

Speaker

Katrin Saelzer

supplier

Evonik

Evonik Anti-Caking
Evonik  Anti-Caking

The webinar dives into the mechanisms behind caking and poor powder flow, explaining how moisture uptake, particle size, and surface structure influence powder performance. It highlights how Evonik’s functional silicas act as effective flow aids and anti-caking agents, creating a microstructure that keeps particles separate and free-flowing, even under challenging humidity conditions. Practical examples illustrate how adjusting silica grade and concentration can fine-tune behaviour across different base materials, such as maltodextrin or protein powders.

In addition to formulation design, the session addresses process optimisation and sustainability, showcasing how improved powder handling reduces cleaning cycles, limits material loss, and enhances dosing precision. With a focus on both performance and responsibility, the discussion demonstrates how smart material selection can streamline production, extend shelf life, and contribute to more sustainable sports nutrition manufacturing.