GOED Sponsored Omega-3 Testing Published
The Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) is continuing its efforts to increase global consumption of omega-3s by publishing the findings of its recent commissioned review on the state of omega-3 diagnostic testing. Published in The Journal of Nutrition, Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Status Testing in Humans: A Narrative Review of Commercially Available Options describes the scene of omega-3 testing and stresses the importance of diagnostics testing for improving EPA and DHA consumption. Harry B. Rice, Ph.D., GOED Vice-President of Regulatory & Scientific Affairs, shared his thoughts on the findings: "Sseeing the overview of scientific evidence on omega-3 levels and health outcomes really gives you a sense of where the strongest evidence exists and where there might be gaps. A review like this will undoubtedly be invaluable during a discussion on dietary reference intakes for EPA/DHA.”
The report also presents evidence linking increased intake or status of omega-3 LCPUFA (long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids) to improved health, focusing on cardiovascular, neurological, pregnancy and eye health outcomes and the options available for measuring LCPUFA status, including both dietary assessments and commercially available analytical tests of blood and breast milk samples.
IFF Opens in Wageningen
IFF revealed its new co-creation center in Wageningen, Netherlands. The space is the latest example of IFF's long-standing research relationship with European food-oriented academic institution Wageningen University. The center will facilitate the creation of new flavors for culinary and sweet applications, feature advanced laboratory equipment, a demo kitchen, an application lab, and an innovation area for product concept testing and presentation.
"This space brings us closer to our key customers, driving engagement, and enabling them to co-create with us on-site and in-person,” said Regional Creation and Design Director, Europe, IFF, Laurens Reiber. Senior product designers and other IFF experts will work out of the new offices located in Netherland's "Food Valley" to provide on-site customer support, drive research and innovation, and better serve its global customers.
In addition to its new location, IFF released the details of its new dairy and alternative dairy trends report. The results, a combination of monthly market data and a global survey conducted on 21,000 consumers, spotlights how brands can appeal to budget-savvy consumers by highlighting health benefits and resonating with their values. Inflation has had a strong negative impact on the dairy industry with its compound annual growth rate (CAGR) value outpacing volume CAGR. However, private label dairy products promising uncompromised quality have seen a surge in popularity during this time, with 35% of consumers opting for the product despite its cost. Convenience, indulgence, and aligned values all ranked high amongst shoppers with 61% (67% for Gen Z) emphasizing the importance of their purchases matching their standards. “In the face of a global cost-of-living crisis, dairy and alternative dairy brands have found a silver lining by focusing on quality and value,” said Richard Neish, head of global futures, Consumer Intelligence at IFF.
Dole Partners to Make Functional Fashion From Waste
Dole Packaged Foods is partnering with Southern California circular design brand, Rais Case, and Piñatex creator, Ananas Anam, to turn organic waste info functional fashion. All three brands are collaborating to diminish biological waste and create one-of-a-kind pieces like the limited-edition Vida Bag. Announced on Earth Day, the bag was designed by Rais Case and features Ananas Anam's vegan leather alternative, Piñatex, made from pineapple leaf fibers from the Dole Philippines farms. “For every ton of pineapples harvested, three tons of pineapple leaves are discarded, making it our job to find ways to reduce and repurpose our waste as much as we can. In addition to using the discarded leaves as fertilizer, partners like Ananas Anam and Rais Case help us find beautiful solutions to reduce waste in a meaningful, unique way,” said Orzse Hodi, Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Dole Packaged Foods, Americas.
Once Again Nut Butter Partners with SedEx and HowGood
Organic and natural nut and seed butter manufacturer, Once Again Nut Butter, is entering into contracts with SedEx and HowGood. The partnership will look to provide greater visibility to the Once Again Nut Butter Honest in Trade program, the brand's sustainability initiative on environmental impact, social and supply chain justice and producing safe, quality foods.
SedEx will identify, manage, and assess the company's social and environmental supply chain risks while provide its customers with full traceability into the company's suppliers and supply chain sustainability performance. HowGood will use its database of 90,000 agricultural emissions factors to provide the company with the carbon footprint for every product made, allowing them to make changes in reduction, make verified sustainability claims, and report more easily on emissions.
Collab: Simply Good Foods x Boys & Girls Clubs
Simply Good Foods is partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver on the Spark & Spoon Project. The initiative will tackle food insecurity, childhood obesity, and nutritional education across Denver's metro area through:
- Cooking classes & distribution of healthy food boxes to families in need
- Field trips centered around unique career & learning opportunities
- Dedicated staff member at the Boys & Girls Club to manage the Spark & Spoon Project
- The Spark & Spoon Community Cookbook, a collection of recipes from Club members and their families
"Simply Good Foods is proud to join forces with Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver for the Spark & Spoon Project," said Geoff Tanner, President & CEO of Simply Good Foods and the newest board member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver. "This partnership reflects our shared commitment to empowering kids to live healthier lifestyles that can lead to academic success, improved mental and physical health outcomes, and community connections. We are excited to contribute our resources and unique expertise to create meaningful and positive experiences for Club members."
Stetton Pistachio Scholarship Winners
Winners have been announced for Stetton Pistachio's second annual Stetton Earth Day scholarship program. In conjunction with Porterville High School, Monache High School, and Harmony Magnet Academy in Porterville, California, the award recognizes outstanding seniors with $5,000 for the first-place winner; $2,500 for the second-place winner; $1,000 each to three third-place winners; $500 each to five honorable mentions; Additionally, all other students who participate will receive a participation award of $250.
This year, the family-owned pistachio company expanded its scholarship opportunity from one school to three and asked students to use pistachio kernels or shells provided by Setton to create a painting, sculpture, video, or piece of clothing, that focused on sustainability in California’s Central Valley. The initiative began in 2016 and has since awarded over 60 scholarships to employees, local community members, and students worth over $130,000.
MycoTechnoloy Reaches Milestones
MycoTechnoloy Inc. is continuing to gain ground towards the commercialization of its Honey Truffle Sweetener, a clean-label, naturally derived sweetener. Through its precision fermentation technology, MycoTechnology has been able to produce the proteins unique clean taste and potency range of 1,000-2,500 times sweeter than sucrose. In less than 12 months, production has been scaled from the lab bench to 3,000-liter tanks, efficiency improved, costs have been optimized, safety and digestibility have been validated.
After meeting a series of technical and safety objectives and receiving positive results from genetic testing for toxicity, allergenicity, and digestibility, MycoTechnology has been making improvements in strain development, process yield and quality. “Our team has achieved remarkable results, exceeding initial expectations for speed of scale-up, mechanistic understanding of the protein, sensory characterization, and applications development with industry partners," shared MycoTechnology’s Chief Technology Officer, Ranjan Patnaik, Ph.D. "This progress is a reflection of Myco’s unique ability to integrate discovery with commercial development to quickly create innovative, impactful solutions from naturets progress."
Ethical Naturals Celebrates Earth Day
Ethical Naturals Inc. (ENI) celebrated Earth Day by spreading awareness for GreenGrown technology, which the company says negates the need for polluting processes . Also in the spotlight: Fermentation as an option to save natural resources during the production of some ingredients used in supplements.
One example is glucosamine, the company says; 7,000 to 10,000 tons is imported per year for human and animal supplement usage in the U.S. alone. Mainly manufactured from Asian shellfish production residue, its production uses large quantities of sodium hydroxide and lye leading to wastewater disposal, river pollution, destruction of coastal mangrove swamps, uncontrolled use of antibiotics, and damage caused by effluent to human drinking water and agriculture. Glucosamine produced through GreenGrown fermentation has a smaller affect on the environment, the company says. The combination of specific bacteria with glucose from non-GMO corn produces a fermented liquid with usable levels of glucosamine which is concentrated and purified into an eco-friendly, USP-grade, 100% vegetarian glucosamine molecularly identical to the shellfish derived material, but without the adverse environmental impact. “Today, fermentation leads the way to the environmental savings we all want to see in our industry, and in our daily supplement use,” said Cal Bewicke, ENI CEO.
M&A Update: Arla Foods Ingredients & Volac
Arla Foods Ingredients has reached an agreement to acquire the Whey Nutrition division of UK-based Volac through a purchase of the shares in Volac Whey Nutrition Holdings Limited and its subsidiaries, Volac Whey Nutrition Limited and Volac Renewable Energy Limited. The Volac group is known for turning whey into ingredients for the sports nutrition industry which has grown at a CAGR of 9% since 2010. By 2028, the industry is projected to be worth 42.2 billion USD, up from 28.1 billion in 2023.
“This brings together two complementary offerings in a growing and increasingly international space for whey products," shared Luis Cubel, Group Vice President and Managing Director of Arla Foods Ingredients. "Volac is a pioneer in the use of whey protein for performance nutrition and has a wealth of expertise as well as an incredibly talented team. It shares our commitment to helping companies worldwide harness the full potential of whey, and we’re hugely excited about the opportunities that lie ahead."
Pending required regulatory approvals, the deal is expected to be completed later this year confirming the addition of the brand to the Arla Foods Ingredients’ portfolio which includes the Lacprodan range of solutions for sports nutrition applications like RTDs, powder shakes and protein bars.
ADM Receives NHC Approval
ADM's DE111 (Bacillus subtilis) has received approval from the National Health Commission (NHC) in China granting Chinese customers access to the spore-forming probiotic. The helpful bacteria was acquired in 2021 from Deerland Probiotics & enzymes and has a track record of showing it can maintain functionality through difficult processing conditions, be shelf stable, and promote digestive health and healthy immune function.
Through this latest endorsement, ADM expects DE111 to perform well amongst Chinese consumers. An FMCG Gurus study reported 57% of Chinese consumers use probiotics/cultures to address digestive health concerns and 78% correlate digestive health with overall wellbeing which corresponds to the Chinese probiotic supplement markets projected CAGR of 11.75 from 2021 to 2026.
PhytoGaia Showcasing at Industry Events
PhytoGaia will be presenting its pet supplement ingredients at this years Petfood Forum 2024 and Interzoo 2024 events. PetGaia, a natural palm fruit extract, and MCTGaia (Medium-Chain Triglycerides) will be on full display at booth 1736 in Kansas city, Missouri for Petfood Forum and Hall 3, booth 3-344 in Europe for Interzoo 2024.
Both supplement ingredients are sustainably-sourced from palm fruits, developed and produced without solvents, and are ideal for pet supplements, foods and personal care products that enhance pet health naturally by promoting healthy skin and fur, a better mind, strength and vitality. The ingredients are available in oil and powder forms making them perfect for a wide range of pet food and supplement applications. "The human-grade quality and sustainable sourcing of MCTGaia and PetGaia set them apart in the industry," shared Dr. Ariati Aris, Scientific Affairs Specialist at PhytoGaia.
PEPTAN Receives New Clinical Support
Collagen peptide brand, PEPTAN, has received new clinical study support for its sleep quality improvement, hydration and elasticity benefits, reduced gastrointestinal discomfort, and skin density enhancement claims. Parent company, Rousselot, will be premiering the results from three recent analysis at Vitafoods Europe from May 14-16 at Booth E106. They will highlight the company's science-backed collagen solutions and gelatin solutions for nutraceutical gummies, robust softgels, and hard capsules and invite visitors to learn about PEPTINEX, a source of collagen for supplements and functional foods, PROTAKE, for collagen and/or protein enrichment in food and beverage products, and COLARTIX, a unique hydrolyzed cartilage matrix, shown to support decreased joint discomfort at a low dosage regardless of gender, age and sport intensity.
On May 15th at the New Ingredients Theater, guests can listen to Elke de Clerck, Rousselot Global Science & Innovation Director, discuss “Breaking the collagen code: Discover the future of targeted peptides,” at 11:30 a.m. CET, and Forencia Moreno Torres, Rousselot Global Business Development Manger Health & Nutrition, present “Collagen peptides: The ultimate beauty from within ingredient plus a holistic well-being twist" at 2:30 p.m. CET.
Givaudan Unleashes Botanicals at Vitafoods Europe
From May 14-16, Givaudan will be treating visitors of Vitafoods Europe to its next generation of health and wellness experiences. Each of the presented experiences will feature solutions from the brand's health, taste, and flavor ingredients portfolio.
Through sustainably sourced botanicals, diligent science, and a deep understanding of taste, the company has created consumer-inspired products like instant drinks and gummies for immune support, urinary tract health, cognition, relaxation, energy, and gut health. Guests can stop by G110 to explore the science and sourcing details behind many of the botanicals in Givaudan's new Health & Nutrition Hub and learn about the ground-breaking clinical study on Pacran, a whole cranberry ingredient for urinary tract health.
AB-BIOTICS Spotlights Women's Health
AB-BIOTICS will be presenting its latest findings on women's health and sports nutrition probiotic solutions at this years Vitafoods Europe event from May 14t-16. Guests can stop by stand B100 to discover Gyntima Menopause, a safe and effective probiotic blend of L. plantarum KABP 051, L. brevis KABP 052, and P. acidilactici KABP 021 for helping women manage all stages of menopause by modulating estrogen levels in the gut and learn about the latest clinical trial for i3.1, a probiotic containing L. plantarum KABPTM 022, L. plantarum KABPTM 023, and P. acidilactici KABPTM 021 that has shown the capacity to support elite athletes affected by digestive issues often associated with participation in high intensity sports.
On May 15, Dr. Marta Pérez, the company’s R&D manager, will host an informative session at the Biotics Theatre on the importance of probiotics in managing symptoms of menopause and how AB-BIOTICS uses them to create their product line. Other company experts will be in attendance to discuss the clinical research around Gyntima - the company’s women’s health portfolio which includes Gyntima Cyscare, Gyntima Balance, and Gyntima Re-Balance.
Solutex Celebrates its 20th Anniversary
From May 14-16 guests can stop by booth K133 at Vitafoods Europe 2024 to congratulate Solutex on its 20-year anniversary. The omega-3 supplier will celebrate its milestone with company highlights from the past and present and introduce visitors to its future, a four-year expansion project of its FDA CGMP-certified Mallén, Spain facility capable of processing 20,000 metric tons of crude fish oil in addition to its portfolio of premium-quality EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) + DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) concentrates – which includes the industry’s highest-purity 97% EPA-, and their derivatives Specialized Pro-resolving Mediators (SPMs).
Dr. Fernando Moreno, owner and CEO of Solutex shared his thoughts on how the company got its start, “almost exactly 20 years ago, my wife Verónica Olaya and I founded Solutex on the fundamental principles of scientific excellence, technology-driven progress and complete respect for the natural world."
Attendees can discover the company's upcoming innovations and join the team for a cocktail reception honoring the company's achievement and new product launch on May 14th at 5pm.
