Hofseth BioCare’s ProGo anemia-preventing salmon protein to feature in Garden of Life launch

31 Mar 2021 --- Nestlé-owned Garden of Life has made its first purchase orders for Hofseth BioCare (HBC)’s salmon protein hydrolysate, branded as ProGo. The organic health supplement firm intends to launch new ProGo consumer protein products online and in the North American markets in Q3 2021.

“HBC has made major investments in both manufacturing and scientific research and development in the past few years. It is good to see that recognized by such a high-profile brand and have our sustainability story reach a new consumer audience,” says Roger Hofseth, chief executive of HBC. 

After a temporary COVID-19 delay in 2020, Garden of Life is now moving swiftly ahead with the long-awaited salmon protein launch, adds Jeff Brams, Garden of Life’s vice president of R&D and regulatory.

“Our collaboration with HBC has enabled us to create a line of novel proteins that will be on-trend, meet consumer’s taste preferences, deliver high-quality nutrition and fulfill our brand promise of sustainability,” he continues. 

Addressing anemia without iron
According to HBC, ProGo is the first and only non-iron-containing product in the US market to “support healthy levels of ferritin and hemoglobin” for the prevention of iron deficiency anemia. 

This is one of six structure function claims acknowledged by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year, and one of the four approved Qualified Health Claims by Health Canada.

Instead of containing iron, ProGo causes a positive interaction with the body resulting in an increase in ferritin, which drives the correction of iron deficiency anemia, Crawford Currie, medical R&D at Hofseth BioCare, previously told NutritionInsight.

ProGo’s Bioactive Peptides originally launched in the US in October. Last May, HBC announced it “perfected” the formula for its salmon protein hydrolysate after a decade of development. Other applications include weight management and sports nutrition.HBC develops high-value ingredients and finished products currently targeting the consumer health market.

Offering transparency
This collaboration is putting transparency – tipped to be this year’s hottest trend – at its forefront. Garden of Life will be co-branding HBC’s ProGo logo on its packaging, which it says ensures consumer traceability and full transparency of the supply chain.

Earlier this month, BioCell Technology emphasized that partnerships between branded ingredients and consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands can be a win-win for the businesses while appealing to science-driven consumers. This was also the topic of the company’s recent webinar. 

Clear labeling of products containing ProGo may also appeal to environmentally driven consumers. HBC is founded on the core values of sustainability and optimal utilization of natural resources. 

Hydrolysis technology allows the company to preserve the quality of lipids, proteins and calcium from fresh salmon off-cuts, thus avoiding waste. 

HBC’s raw material was granted approval by the Non-GMO Project to supply Garden of Life. ProGo is also marketed as being all-natural and additive-free.

HBC’s offerings brim with potential
In addition to accessing the North American market, HBC is also active in ten Asian markets following a deal late last year with DKSH. HBC anticipated that the proliferation of fish-heavy diets in parts of the continent would help increase consumer acceptance of its offerings. 

HBC is also investigating whether peptide fractions of salmon protein hydrolysate can protect the gastrointestinal tract against inflammation, including ulcerative colitis and necrotizing enterocolitis. 

Another use in the pipeline is developing the peptide fractions as a medical food to help treat age-related sarcopenia.

Meanwhile, pre-clinical trial work with the oil is ongoing to ameliorate lung inflammation in eosinophilic asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as well as clinical work in COVID-19.

Research is ongoing to identify the individual elements within the products that modulate inflammation and the immune response with pre-clinical studies in multiple clinics and university research labs in several countries.

By Katherine Durrell