Free from grape seed extract: Nexira enters partnership with California Natural Color

17 Sep 2018 --- French-headquartered nutraceutical ingredient supplier Nexira is partnering with California Natural Color, previously known as San Joaquin Valley Concentrate (SJVC) [a subsidiary of wine giant EJ Gallo] on the introduction of a grape seed extract that has been purely extracted by water. VinOseed SO free is claimed to exceed the highest market standards. Nexira has been offering VinOseed, a 100 percent natural white grape seed extract line for some time, manufactured in the Bordeaux region in France. With high levels of polyphenols, VinOseed products are particularly suitable for antioxidant applications and have a high OPC [oligomeric procyanidins] content. 

The launch of VinOseed SO free offers a clean label solution based on Californian grapes, which Nexira will market globally. VinOseed SO free is water extracted, solvent-free, with 95 percent polyphenol content of and 30 percent OPC, but overall it is sulfite-free. The crystal form of VinOseed SO free allows for an instant and quick dissolution, claimed to be unique on the market. VinOseed SO free is also certified kosher. 

“Our regular grape extract, where we have some grape seed extract from skins or other parts of the grape, but what is new is VinOseed So free, which has a polyphenol content of 95 percent, which is the same as regular grape seed extract. At the same time we have an OPC [oligomeric procyanidins] content of 30 percent, achieved only through water extraction. This is very new as all the other grape seed extract,” says Olivier Houalla, Operation Managing Director at Nexira. 

Houalla lists several key unique selling points for the launch of this product. “The key point is that it is only extracted with water. For all other extracts of this nature, you need a solvent to make the extraction. So this is a very clean process and in the meantime, it is totally sulfite-free, which is important and difficult in the grape or wine industry. Besides all of this, it can be certified Kosher. It is a crystal form powder which is easy to dissolve. Dissolution for this type of product can typically be a challenge,” he adds. 

California Natural Color has been a supplier of grape juice concentrates, natural colors, and grape seed extract to the food and beverage industries for two decades. With the support of a strong supply chain beginning in the fields and ending with state-of-the-art technologies for processing and packaging. These qualities, alongside “an unwavering commitment to quality,” have resulted in California Natural Color becoming the world's largest supplier of grape juice concentrates and red anthocyanin colors. 

“We have been discussing on working with them for some time to build an agreement and to have a special product that would be created to complement our line,” says Mathieu Dondain, Development Managing Director of Nexira. “We already have a range of extracts produced in the Bordeaux region of France [St. Emilion] and we thought it was interesting to work with a Californian wine producer to match some specific content. The majority of our other products in this range come from there.” 

“This new product to our range is made of very specific types of grapes that is only grown in California. It is very different from the grape found in Europe and is very typical of there,” he adds.

Functional grape seed extracts are a growing trend in the supplements market, Dondain says. “This product is mainly for supplements as at the relatively high price means that it is not easy to have it in food & beverages even if you see more and more niche functional foods and beverages emerging with high added value,” he adds. 

The ingredient was already being produced at California Natural Color’s facility, where the main focus was on producing colors. “The main reason for this product is typically for the coloring of wine or grape juice. To add color to wine, you need to use products made from grapes as you cannot just add a coloring agent. Grape juice, grape juice concentrate and a color extracted from grape are their main products,” says Houalla. 

But the expansion into supplements called on a specialist in the nutraceuticals world, claims Dondain. “California Natural Color wanted to rely on a company like Nexira, which is active in the nutraceuticals and dietary supplements industry, which can bring some science and bring the product worldwide. It offers the marketing support, global sales force and the science that we can work around and the connection between two wine growing regions where there is something interesting, despite the geographical distance between these regions,” he adds. 

The move comes just several months after Nexira revealed a strategic partnership agreement with Omega Pharma NV, one of the largest OTC healthcare companies in Europe and Inqpharm Group (a Zaluvida company), a specialty pharmaceutical company.

By Robin Wyers