Astareal Triples its Production Capacity of Natural Astaxanthin to Meet Increased Demand

16 May 2014 --- AstaReal Technologies opened its new manufacturing facility in Moses Lake on the 14th of May, with a grand celebration attended by Washington State Governor Jay Inslee and community leaders from Grant County and the City of Moses Lake. The new 59.000 sq.ft plant will be in full operation in July 2014 and will initially employ 45 people.

The new plant, together with AstaReal´s existing facility in Gustavsberg, Sweden, will triple AstaReal´s production capacity of natural astaxanthin. AstaREAL® natural astaxanthin is produced from the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis in state of the art photobioreactors under controlled conditions, resulting in production of the highest quality natural astaxanthin available on the market. The increased production capacity will allow the AstaReal Group to offer a stable supply of AstaREAL® natural astaxanthin to its customers around the world. In addition, the factory site in Moses Lake, Washington has ample space for further expansion.

The City of Moses Lake in Grant County was identified after a global search and is a perfect match for AstaReal Technologies’ new factory. Moses Lake offers a stable supply of pure water and renewable electrical energy - two resources that are critical to the success of the new facility. “AstaReal is honored to be a community member of Moses Lake, Grant County and Washington State, and expects the community will experience significant growth and development which it hopes to contribute to,” said Mitsunori Nishida, President and CEO of Fuji Chemical Industry.

Numerous clinical studies conducted in humans have assessed AstaREAL® natural astaxanthin’s safety, bioavailability, and clinical aspects relevant to oxidative stress and the inflammatory process. Research shows that astaxanthin may be effective in helping to maintain cardiovascular health as well as supporting the body in its fight against metabolic syndrome conditions. The number of studies exploring astaxanthin’s potential benefits has greatly increased during the last decade, to include research areas such as eye health, hypertension, diabetes, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). “We see the 21st century as the era of anti-aging,” said Mr. Nishida. “We believe that natural astaxanthin will play a key role in the advancement of anti-aging and lifestyle disease research.”