Beyond The Headlines: Surthrival unveils wild-foraged protein powder, Gnosis by Lesaffre relaunches flagship ingredient

This week in nutrition news, Surthrival launched a first-of-its-kind, wild-foraged and plant-based protein powder. Also, Gnosis by Lesaffre expanded its mood and cognitive health offerings with a relaunch of its S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine product – Adonat Premium SAMe. At the same time, Bene Meat Technologies (BMT) revealed that it had hit a major milestone in its bid to produce cultured meat for pet foods.

In brief: Nutrition news
US-based nutrition company Surthrival released protein powder made from wild black walnuts foraged from the midwest. The company states that the product is the “world’s first” wild-crafted, wild-foraged and sustainable protein powder.

Surthrival launched a wild-foraged black walnut protein powder.

Additionally, the company said that black walnuts contain the highest protein of any tree nut and are habitat and environmentally friendly since the foraging process requires no irrigation, fertilizer or agricultural land.

Gnosis by Lesaffre revealed that it will reintroduce its flagship ingredient to expand its reach within the mood and cognitive health spaces. The company will relaunch Adonat Premium SAMe – an S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine product that has been shown to support emotional well-being, healthy mood, cognitive function and healthy aging. The company further states that the product also supports joint and liver health.

Meanwhile, Czech start-up BMT announced that it now has the necessary technology to create cultured meat for pet food and will apply for production approval in the EU and US in early 2023. The company states that at its current size, pet food production is responsible for up to 25% of animal husbandry’s carbon footprint. Moreover, it stated that the pet food market is ready for cultured meat, noting that as much as half of consumers have said they would like to feed their pets cultured meat that is environmentally friendly and ethically sound.

In brief: Business news
US-based dietary supplement developer and manufacturer Sirio Pharma completed its majority stake acquisition in the full-scale nutraceutical formulating and manufacturing company, Best Formulations. Sirio Pharma states that the acquisition will allow both companies to expand sales networks, allow for R&D partnerships, joint procurement of materials and increase the companies’ global competitiveness.

Similarly, Solabia acquired a majority stake in the Netherlands-based polyphenol R&D producer BioActor. Solabia stated that: “BioActor’s pioneering R&D, impressive clinical research capabilities, market-leading product portfolio and established customer base will allow us to further strengthen our position in the nutrition and food supplement markets.”Solabia acquired a majority stake in Netherlands-based polyphenol developer and producer BioActor.

In brief: Research and studies
Botanical extract and natural active substance producer, Euromed, revealed that its pomegranate extract – Pomanox – has been linked to improved skin health, according to a recent in-vitro study. Researchers from the Eurecat Centre Tecnològic de Catalunya in Spain, found that the Pomanox may help to alleviate hyperpigmentation, loss of skin elasticity, skin dryness and other signs of skin aging by modulating collagen hyaluronic acid metabolism while reducing oxidative stress and melanogenesis. The company states that the new study, published in the International Journal of Food Sciences, suggests that the pomegranate extract product is a promising ingredient for beauty-from-within and nutricosmetic applications.

Trinutra hailed the results of a study published in the Scholarly Journal of Food and Nutrition, which found that its proprietary black seed oil, ThymoQuin, supported better mood, decreased upper respiratory tract complaints and improved the immune systems in a cohort of 21 male and 11 female endurance runners when combined with astaxanthin. Additionally, the combination oil blend of 500 mg of ThymoQuin and 8 mg of microalgae-derived astaxanthin oleoresin had positive effects on the gut microbiome and gut-brain axis overall. The test group displayed 20% lower cortisol levels and an 11% improvement in the Global Mood State index com­pared to those who took the placebo.

Euromed’s pomegranate extract Pomanox was found to support skin health and healthy aging.Nutritional specialty ingredients and custom-formulated solutions producer Innophos highlighted a clinical research study published in PubMed, which found that the company’s branded Terminalia arjuna extract, Oxyjun. Terminalia arjuna is an extract from the bark of the Arjuna tree, traditionally used for cardio protection. Researchers revealed that the findings from this latest human clinical trial demonstrated that the extract had advanced benefits in the areas of cardiac output as well as a perceived reduction in physical fatigue among the study’s 72 subjects. The study further found that participants experienced a 6.28% increase in cardiac output compared to 0.24% with the placebo and a 22.5% perceived reduction in physical fatigue compared to 8.5% with the placebo. Additionally, researchers found no adverse events in any of the study participants

Meanwhile, in a perspective published in Science, scientists based in India promoted the farming of insects for both human and livestock consumption as having the potential to improve global food security. The researchers noted that food insecurity is a growing problem, yet they stated that there are more sustainable solutions than expanding agriculture. However, they highlighted that farming insects could both improve food security and boost local economies, especially in developing regions. Furthermore, the scientists cited historical precedence, acknowledging that the consumption of insects has been part of the human diet for thousands of years in many cultures. 

Lastly, in a study published in the JAMA Network, researchers from the University of Texas at Austin, US, found that, in a randomized clinical trial of 695 children, a school-based gardening and cooking intervention significantly reduced cholesterol levels and improved glucose control in children at risk for obesity and Type 2 diabetes. The study stated that its results show that implementing these interventions at schools could improve the health of at-risk students.

By William Bradford Nichols