Beyond The Headlines: Bimuno GOS receives approval for use in Canada, IFF achieves significant encapsulation success

31 Mar 2023 --- This week in nutrition news, Clasado Biosciences’ probiotic ingredient was granted approval for use in natural health products and obtained ten health claims by the Canadian government. IFF achieved successful encapsulation with a high-viscosity liquid and semi-liquid nutritional ingredients for softgel applications with SeaGel. Meanwhile, The American Diabetes Association (ADA) partnered with the Elevance Health Foundation to improve health and nutrition equity. 

In brief: Nutrition news
Clasado Biosciences announced that Health Canada has approved Bimuno GOS (galactooligosaccharides), for use in Natural Health Products (NHPs) and granted it ten health claims that can be featured on products containing the prebiotic ingredient. The development enables its use in NHP in the Canadian market. The latest round of approved claims build on the regulatory success of the unique GOS, which has gained approval from various regulatory bodies in Australia, the Philippines and the US. The approval highlights the ingredient’s efficacy for gastrointestinal health and immunity.

Clasado Bioscience’s Bimuno GOS can now be used for formulation and sold in Canada with ten separate health claims.IFF achieved encapsulation success with high-viscosity liquid and semi-liquid nutritional ingredients in softgel dietary supplement applications. The technical breakthrough will allow manufacturers to develop robust, high-quality, plant-based soft-shell capsules that match the performance of traditional animal-based gelatin for complex ingredients and meet an increasing consumer need for plant-based supplements. A “first” in the industry, the company encapsulated NovaSOL Curcumin and Boswellia from Aquanova, in a vegan softgel format. The company stated that the success with SeaGel is significant because plant-based ingredients can be difficult to deliver, especially in softgel applications, due to complex development and formulation challenges.

The ADA partnered with the Elevance Health Foundation to improve health and nutrition equity for underserved communities affected by Type 2 diabetes. The two organizations stated that the collaboration will help deliver free nutrition education, resources and nutritious foods in Indiana, New York, Ohio and Virginia. The enhanced What Can I Eat? (WCIE?) program is supported by the Elevance Health Foundation and focuses on addressing the social determinants of health that contribute to Type 2 diabetes. The updated WCIE? includes evidence-based nutrition guidelines and information about local community resources, available both in-person and virtually. The program will also provide facilitated support and healthy incentives, including access to educational modules, resources and free nutritious food throughout the nine-week program. The ADA is currently recruiting local community-based organizations to facilitate the in-person program.

In brief: Business news
Emmi stated that goat milk powder’s nutritional profile is comparable to human breast milk.ADM and BioWish Technologies teamed up for the distribution of BioWish Fertilizer Enhancement, a proprietary blend of microbial cultures that is coated onto dry fertilizer or mixed with liquid fertilizers to create an enhanced efficiency fertilizer. It is specifically designed to optimize yield potential by improving nutrient uptake and to improve soil conditions for increased plant vigor. The offering includes BioWish’s HoloGene 3 technology – with endophytic Bacillus – that delivers soil nutrients to crops through the rhizophagous cycle and helps create a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship between the plant and soil microbes. The product’s industry-leading shelf life is proven to achieve consistent desired results across a broad range of operating conditions, climates and environments. ADM plans to offer the blend as an option to be coated onto dry fertilizers for the 2023 season.

Swiss dairy company Emmi has invested CHF40 million (US$43 million) in the goat milk powder market by commissioning a new production facility in the Netherlands for Emmi Nutritional Solutions. The new spray-drying facility, built at its existing site in Etten-Leur, is a model of energy efficiency and will enable Emmi to expand its production capacity, strengthen its position in the market and tap into new segments. The company states the high tolerance and nutritional quality of goat’s milk powder has a nutritional profile that is comparable to human breast milk.

In brief: Scientific studies
A new clinical trial published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that daily 8 mg supplementation of Lycored astaxanthin for four weeks offset exercise-induced decreases in plasma immunoglobulins. The study, conducted on 19 healthy, non-smoking male and female runners, found that astaxanthin supplementation had a strong impact on post-exercise drops in 82 immune-related proteins and had significant effects on another 20. Additionally, the researchers found astaxanthin supplementation was especially significant for levels of IgM, the predominant antibody produced early in an immune response. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design study also found that supplementation did not show differences from placebo in plasma. Lycored’s astaxanthin offering uses Haematococcus pluvialis algae and has been linked to benefits in heart health, cellular health, skin health, immunity support, joint health and the reduction of inflammation and oxidative damage.

A study found that mycoprotein worked just as well as protein from an omnivore diet for muscle growth.A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition has found that a vegan diet, rich in mycoprotein such as is found in Quorn, can support muscle growth during resistance training to the same extent as an omnivorous diet. The study directly compared mycoprotein with an omnivorous diet, including meat, and to do this over an extended period of 10 weeks. The randomized trial was split into two phases, with 16 healthy young adults completing a three-day diet and 22 healthy young adults completing a 10-week high-volume progressive resistance training program while consuming a high-protein omnivorous or vegan diet rich in mycoprotein. The results demonstrated comparable increases in muscle mass and strength in response to both diets, with no significant differences between the two. The group on the high protein omnivorous diet gained 2.6 kg of whole-body lean mass, while the group on the vegan diet gained 3.1 kg. Both groups also increased the size of their thigh muscles by the same amount (8.3%) over the course of the trial.

At Discover BMB in Seattle, Washington, US, researchers presented a newly created form of the omega 3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that can enter the retina and prevent visual declines associated with Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and other disorders. The commonly found form of DHA, triacylglycerol (TAG) DHA, does not reach the eyes because it cannot travel from the bloodstream into the retina. The new lysophospholipid form of DHA, or LPC-DHA, has been tested on mice with Alzheimer’s-like processes and the results showed a 96% improvement in retinal DHA content with preserved retinal structure and function. LPC-DHA supplements could prevent Alzheimer’s-related declines in visual function and be helpful for other disorders in which DHA deficiency and vision impairment are common. The dosage used in the study is equivalent to about 250 to 500 mg of omega 3 fatty acids per day in humans. The researchers stated that further studies would be needed to confirm that LPC-DHA is safe and effective for use in humans.

By William Bradford Nichols