On Friday, 17 October, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will launch a pioneering CO₂ Supercritical Encapsulation Facility (SCEF), the first of its kind on the African continent. This state-of-the-art pilot-scale facility represents a major leap forward in clean, solvent-free encapsulation technologies that enable the production of high-value, bio-based ingredients for pharmaceutical, agricultural, food and cosmetic applications.
Commissioned in April 2025 by the CSIR, the facility positions South Africa at the forefront of innovation in supercritical carbon dioxide (CO₂) encapsulation - a sustainable, precision-driven alternative to conventional methods.
The facility builds on a breakthrough by the CSIR, which developed and patented a novel supercritical CO₂ encapsulation process. Designed to protect sensitive bioactives like probiotics, this process ensures ingredient stability through production, storage and delivery—all without harmful solvents. Its commercial licensing to a South African small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) marked a pivotal point in translating lab-scale research into market-ready products, sparking growing interest from the nutraceutical, cosmeceutical and animal health industries.
However, scaling the technology presented a significant challenge due to the absence of a dedicated pilot-scale facility to validate commercial readiness. To address this gap, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) awarded the CSIR R25.9 million to establish this first-of-a-kind pilot SCEF.
The new facility will serve as a national innovation platform, providing critical capabilities to:
Demonstrate scalability of supercritical encapsulation technologies
Produce pilot-scale batches for field trials and early market testing
Offer toll-manufacturing services for industry collaborators and innovators
Beyond industrial validation, the SCEF will support local SMMEs to develop globally competitive products, enhance market uptake and unlock new avenues for valorising indigenous knowledge and biodiversity. Ultimately, the facility aims to strengthen South Africa’s bioeconomy and establish a globally recognised footprint in sustainable high-precision encapsulation.
The SCEF pilot will initially serve the nutraceutical, cosmeceutical and animal health sectors, with a vision to expand into pharmaceutical and functional food markets in future phases.
Members of the media are invited as follows:
Date: Friday, 17 October 2025
Time: 09:00
Venue: CSIR Pretoria campus, Meiring Naudé Road, Brummeria, Pretoria
RSVP and media enquiries:
RSVP contact: Phetolo Phatsibi, CSIR Media Practitioner
E-mail: @email
Mobile: 081 396 8871
About the CSIR:
The CSIR, an entity of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, is one of Africa’s leading organisations in scientific and technology research, development and implementation. Constituted by an Act of Parliament in 1945 as a science council, the CSIR undertakes directed and multidisciplinary research and technological innovation, as well as industrial and scientific development, to improve the quality of life of all South Africans.
This year, the CSIR celebrates 80 years of touching lives through innovation. For more information, visit www.csir.co.za
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