Company Description

Lonza is one of the world’s leading and most-trusted suppliers to the pharmaceutical, biotech and specialty ingredients markets. We harness science and technology to create products that support safer and healthier living and that enhance the overall quality of life. Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, Lonza today is a well-respected global company with more than 40 major manufacturing and R&D facilities. Lonza is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.

Lonza is a leading manufacturer of L-carnitine, sold under the brand name Carnipure™. Carnipure™, a conditionally essential ingredient, enables the generation of energy from fat. The proprietary and fully backward-integrated Carnipure™ production process was invented by Lonza scientists in Switzerland. It directly produces the L-isomer of Carnitine, the form found in nature. Carnipure™ tartrate and Carnipure™ crystalline are self-affirmed GRAS for use in certain conventional foods as a dietary source of L-carnitine. Both are bright white, pH- and heat stable, highly water soluble and form colorless solutions. They can be used in dietary supplements in the form of tablets, capsules and powders as well as in beverages, bars, dairy and other food products.

Lonza offers DHAid™, a concentrated and purely vegetarian source of omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). It is produced from a proprietary strain of microalgae through a controlled fermentation process. DHAid™ is an environmentally friendly source of DHA as it is manufactured using renewable resources. DHA is a type of omega-3 fatty acid that is used by our body as a building block for cell membranes where it plays an important role in membrane fluidity, flexibility and permeability. Health benefits of DHAid™ include the support of brain development and function as well as heart and eye health. DHAid™ is available in liquid and powder forms, non-allergenic, free of potential contaminants, uses no chemical solvents for production and is GRAS affirmed.

ResistAid™ is a proprietary natural immune support ingredient made from larch trees that grow in abundance in the United States. ResistAid™ consists of the soluble polysaccharide arabinogalactan and bioactive polyphenolic flavonoids, and thus has antioxidant capacity. ResistAid™ is formulated to deliver triple-action immune benefits year round. ResistAid™ supports both the innate and adaptive immune responses as well as gastrointestinal health. Clinical study results indicate that ResistAid™ has the ability to modulate and support both arms of the immune system and provide benefit from antioxidant capacity. ResistAid™ has a number of technical properties that make it easy to incorporate into dietary supplements and functional foods in standalone form or combined with other products to increase functionality. ResistAid™ is highly soluble, dissolving completely in hot or cold water. It is stable at a wide range of temperatures and pH. In beverages, it keeps its functionality and neither degrades nor hydrolyzes. ResistAid™ is certified Kosher and self-affirmed GRAS.

For over 40 years, Lonza has been a leading supplier of the Vitamin B3 ingredients, Niacin and Niacinamide. Both are essential vitamins that must be taken through diet or supplementation. They are used in dietary supplements, food, personal care, pharma and animal nutritional markets.  Niacin is also used in dietary supplement applications to help maintain cholesterol levels in the normal range while Niacinamide is increasingly important as an active ingredient for cosmetic products used to promote the appearance of healthy skin and hair.

Lonza also offers the Memree™ brand, which covers a line of products that includes high-quality, soy-based phosphatidylserine (PS). Phosphatidylserine is an important structural component of cell membranes and is found in concentrated amounts in brain cells. MemreePS™ can be used for cognitive health applications. MemreePlus™ is a proprietary blend of PS and phosphatidic acid (PA). Phosphatidic acid is a precursor for many important phospholipids. MemreePlus™ has been shown to reduce cortisol levels; cortisol is a hormone that is associated with stress, as well as impeded recovery after exercise. Memree™ products are Kosher and GRAS affirmed.

Key Markets

• Health and Functional Foods
• Weight Management
• Sports Nutrition
• Dietary Supplements
• Digestive Health
• Food Fortification
• General Wellness
• Immune Health

Major Products

• Carnipure™
• DHAid™
• Memree™
• Niacin and Niacinamide
• ResistAid™

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, July 2014