Caffeine is the most widely used ingredient for energy and focus yet conventional caffeine has a well-known drawback: it works fast, but not for long. With CaffXR™, built on the patented Citrap20™ technology, this behavior can now be precisely engineered. This creates new opportunities to develop more targeted, differentiated caffeine products, combining formulation flexibility, application-specific release profiles and a strong clean-label story.

The Problem: The Classic Caffeine Spike

Free caffeine dissolves in the acidic environment of the stomach within about 30 minutes and reaches its plasma peak after roughly one hour, only to fall just as quickly afterward. The usable effect often lasts no more than two to three hours before the familiar "crash" sets in. For applications like daily focus, sports performance, or functional foods, that's rarely the experience brands want to deliver: today's consumers are looking for sustained energy, not a short kick followed by a slump.

The Solution: Citrap20™ Technology

Citrap20™ is a natural delivery system that entraps active ingredients – in this case, caffeine derived from green coffee bean extract (Coffea arabica) within a matrix of soluble and insoluble plant fibers:

• Soluble fibers form a gel-like structure, improve solubility, and extend residence time in the gastrointestinal tract.
• Insoluble fibers enhance gastric motility, protect against premature breakdown, and support a more gradual, even release through their interaction with gut flora.

The result: instead of a porous caffeine crystal that dissolves almost instantly, a robust composite particle is formed in which the active ingredient is fully embedded .

This positions Citrap20™ as a 100% plant-based, clean-label alternative to conventional liposomal systems, which typically rely on phospholipids, cholesterol, and PEG, require complex high-pressure homogenization to manufacture, and can be prone to oxidation or aggregation during storage.

Which CaffXR™ variant suits which application?

The real strength of CaffXR lies in its versatility: the same underlying technology can be configured for a wide range of use cases.

What are the benefits for you?

For your formulation

• Three concentrations for different release requirements
• Greater flexibility in dosage and product positioning
• Standardised caffeine content
• Suitable for a range of dry dosage formats
• Can be combined with free caffeine to create dual-release concepts
• Improved taste profile compared with free caffeine

For your marketing

• Clear differentiation from conventional caffeine
• Natural caffeine derived from green coffee beans
• A plant-based technology with an easy-to-understand product story
• Different positioning opportunities for focus, gaming, sports and daily energy
• One ingredient platform for several consumer needs

For your product strategy

• One ingredient family for multiple product lines
• Targeted selection based on consumption time and intended use
• Opportunities for daily focus, extended energy and pre-workout concepts
• Clear portfolio differentiation through application-specific release profiles

Conclusion

CaffXR™ combines natural caffeine from green coffee beans with the patented Citrap20™ technology, which entraps the caffeine in a plant-based fibre matrix to control its release. This creates a clean-label, food-grade delivery concept without conventional synthetic encapsulation systems, while also supporting an improved taste profile. 

With three available concentrations, CaffXR™ can be matched to the intended application: 20% and 30% for extended release over approximately 8–12 hours, and 40% for a shorter, more concentrated release profile suited to pre-workout products. The result is greater formulation flexibility, clearer product differentiation and a strong platform for focus, energy, gaming and sports nutrition concepts.

Learn more about CaffXR:

https://www.dangschat-toh.com/collections/plant-powders/products/caffxr-controlled-release-caffeine