Brightseed receives upcycled and non-GMO certifications for Bio Gut Fiber health ingredients

04 Oct 2023 --- Brightseed’s Bio Gut Fiber, a bioactive-containing fiber ingredient for functional foods and beverages, has achieved an upcycled certification and non-GMO project verification from the Upcycled Food Association. The functional fiber ingredient is made from upcycled hemp hulls and aims to support gut health.

Moreover, the company says it is currently the only fiber option on the market with two naturally occurring bioactives.

Alina Slotnik, VP of Bioactives for Brightseed, tells Nutrition Insight, “Certifications like these make sustainability and clean processing more tangible for consumers.”

“When they see these certification labels on the products they purchase, they know that the brands care about what goes into their products. They’re looking for ingredients that positively impact our planet, our health or both.”

Reducing food waste
Brightseed notes that with the growing consumer concern about the impact purchases have on the environment, interest in upcycled ingredients has also increased. The company’s proprietary research reveals that more than 60% of consumers feel strongly about upcycled ingredients.

This transformation in consumer choice opens space for companies to innovate and expand. Upcycled Food Association CEO Angie Crone says, “Finally, companies can help mitigate food waste by participating in a straightforward, powerful program that turns food waste into new products and ingredients.”

“Cutting food waste is the most effective thing people can do to address climate change. Reducing food waste becomes much easier thanks to the roll-out of this set of clear, uniform standards and protocols. It’s an innovative approach because it’s the first consumer product-based solution, making it highly scalable and economically sustainable.”

Brightseed is one of only 92 companies to receive certification from the Upcycled Food Association’s program.

Fiber source discovered by AI
In addition to securing the upcycled and non-GMO certificates for the Bio Gut Fiber, Brightseed outlines the need to stand out with unique products to stay relevant among competitors.

Forager AI finds new bioactive compounds in plants and identifies the specific action they trigger in the body.

“There are plenty of fiber ingredients on the market currently, but we know how important consuming a variety of fiber sources is for a well-balanced diet that’s rich in a variety of bioactive compounds, N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (NCT) and N-trans-feruloyltyramine (NFT), discovered by our proprietary Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, Forager,” says Slotnik. 

NCT and NFT were demonstrated in a recent preclinical gut model study to restore gut barrier function.

The gut barrier is essential to the human digestive system because it ensures proper nutrient absorption and prevents toxins and pathogens from entering the bloodstream, supporting overall well-being.

Slotnik says that Bio Gut Fiber looks to bring these benefits to the food, beverage and supplement market.

Discovering natural bioactives
The company’s Forager AI platform was created by Dr. Lee Chae, a former researcher at the Stanford Carnegie Institute of Plant Biology. It searches for natural bioactives and maps their connection to human health benefits.

Slotnik states that the bioactive compounds found in various plants are vital for our health. However, it is challenging to find previously undiscovered bioactive compounds in plants and to identify the specific action they trigger in the human body. 

“That’s why they’re often called the ‘dark matter’ of plants,” he underscores.

“This is the challenge our AI is solving. Forager is discovering bioactives and making new connections to our health much faster than traditional research,” Slotnik concludes. “To date, Forager has mapped more than 4 million plant compounds and more than 30,000 bioactives and their health impacts.”

Samples of Bio Gut Fiber products will be available at the company’s booth at the SupplySide West trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada, US. Brightseed’s VP of Microbiome will also participate in an educational session on the microbiome.

By Milana Nikolova