Weekly Roundup: UK groups announce celiac research funding competition, Gelita receives German innovation award for bone health ingredient

07 Jun 2019 --- In nutrition news this week, Coeliac UK and Innovate UK announced a £180k (US$229k) funding competition for research into celiac disease, while Gelita’s bone health ingredient Fortibone received the German Innovation Award 2019. DuPont Nutrition & Health received regulatory approval from the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for two products from its Danisco portfolio, in the same week that Fruit d’Or Nutraceuticals announced a new way to verify and validate products for cranberry products manufacturers, to ensure maximum quality.

In brief: Endorsements and funding
UK charity Coeliac UK and innovation agency Innovate UK are offering £180k (US$229k) in funding for research into celiac disease and are inviting applications from UK businesses and researchers. The organizations say that the projects must underpin and support Coeliac UK’s top ten research priorities, which include:
• Improving diagnostics for celiac disease, refractory celiac disease and/or gluten related neurological conditions.
• Developing tools for the long term management of celiac disease.
• Enhancing the quality of staple gluten-free food.
Total project costs can range from £50k to £250k and researchers and businesses can jointly apply for a share of the funding up to the maximum £180K available. Applicants can find out more about this competition at the organizations’ respective websites and must apply by September 16, 2019. “We want to change the course of celiac disease treatment through improved diagnostics, technology and food innovations that truly bridge the gap between people, health professionals and products. Research has the power to do this and by combining forces with Innovate UK and industry, our charity demonstrates its unwavering commitment to the UK’s growing gluten-free community,” says Hilary Croft, CEO of Coeliac UK.

Gelita executives receiving the German Innovation Award 2019 in the “Excellence in B2B, Pharmaceuticals” category for the company's Fortibone ingredient.European cluster collaboration platform INCluSilver has made cross-border collaboration the main theme in its final funding round. Of the 11 applicants selected to receive a grant, nine represent international consortia of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the participating countries. The successful applicants will each receive a share of the €492,500 in final round funds. INCluSilver Project Coordinator, Per Simonsson praises the effort made by SMEs to develop formal working relations with partners from other markets – and looks forward to the long-term benefits for Europe’s growing silver population.

In brief: Awards and certifications
DuPont Nutrition & Health has received regulatory approval from the Thai FDA for two products from its Danisco portfolio, MicroGARD 100 and MicroGARD 200. The MicroGARD range is often used as a food protection ingredient by maintaining product quality and reducing premature spoilage, therefore improving profitability for food manufacturers. Both fermentates inhibit gram-negative bacteria and certain yeasts and molds across a wide range of food products including dairy, culinary and bakery applications. “It is very important to maintain the sensory attributes such as taste and flavor and freshness of industrialized food products throughout distribution and shelf-life. Many SMEs resort to using synthetic preservatives and often do not comply to food standards,” says Sittideth Sriprateth, Sales Leader, Thailand & Myanmar, DuPont Nutrition & Health. “The use of synthetic preservatives is very prevalent in Southeast Asia. MicroGARD provides an innovative and effective way to partially or fully replace synthetic preservatives, creating new opportunities for food manufacturers” he added.

Gelita’s bone health ingredient Fortibone has received the German Innovation Award 2019 in the “Excellence in B2B, Pharmaceuticals” category. The specific Bioactive Collagen Peptides are touted as able to counteract loss in bone mineral density and can help prevent osteopenia and osteoporosis. The German Innovation Awards honor products and solutions from a variety of industries that distinguish themselves primarily by their user-centricity and added value. In announcing the award, the judges declared that “in comparison to existing medications, Fortibine has a signaling effect on osteoblasts to counterbalance the collagen degradation in the extracellular bone matrix, which is the essential framework for bone mineralization.” With its special mode of action, it is said to be a good addition to existing treatment options for osteoporosis, as most existing medications have an anticatabolic effect and can cause side-effects. 

In brief: Miscellaneous
There is a new way for cranberry product manufacturers to verify and validate their products’ efficacy. Cranberry expert Fruit d’Or Nutraceuticals is taking the lead by subjecting its Cran Naturelle and Cran d’Or ingredients to anti-adhesion activity (AAA) testing, to ensure efficacy against urinary tract infection (UTI)-causing pathogenic bacteria. “Recent testing has called into question the efficacy of some cranberry products. There is a strong need to raise the bar of quality to protect manufacturers and consumers,” notes Stephen Lukawski, Director of Sales and Business Development for Fruit d’Or Nutraceuticals. According to Lukawski, AAA testing is the best solution for bringing more confidence and stronger credibility to our products and industry so that we can maintain consumer trust. “We encourage all manufacturers to have their cranberry suppliers test their cranberry for AAA consistently on every lot that they sell,” he says.