IBN teams up with Virentia to launch ChloroBlast alfalfa extract

12 Oct 2021 --- US-based ingredients supplier Ingredients by Nature (IBN) is partnering with alfalfa (Medicago sativa) specialist Virentia in preparation for launching a new chloroplast concentrate from alfalfa, branded ChloroBlast. 

The product is set to hit the functional F&B industry in mid-2022.

“IBN has a long history of supplying alfalfa ingredients, and we were very excited five years ago to learn about Virentia’s innovation in an ingredient category that hasn’t seen much change over the last decade,” says Rob Brewster, president of IBN. 

“ChloroBlast delivers a blast of vegetable protein along with a blast of nutritious chlorophyll, and we look forward to working with Virentia to improve functional food and beverage options on the market via this new ingredient.”

Alfalfa products have been used as livestock feed for centuries.Developing isolation processes 
Virentia spent more than five years developing a patented industrial fractionation process that isolates, extracts and concentrates intact chloroplasts from alfalfa leaves without using chemicals or harsh mechanical treatments, says the company. This method also maintains chloroplast integrity.

The process purifies the chloroplasts, removing phenolics and volatiles that could cause unpleasant odors and flavors, leaving a concentrate that is easily suspendable in liquids. 

This allows Virentia to prepare pure chloroplast suspensions that have a high, reproducible omega 3 to protein ratio.

The benefits profile of ChloroBlast is “extensive” because it is rich in a variety of fundamental compounds for healthier lifestyles, says IBN. 

The ingredient boasts 52% protein and 6% omega 3 content. It also has an oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) value of 232.4 µmol TE/g, which delivers 30.5 mg of chlorophyll per gram of ChloroBlast. In addition, it contains beta-carotene along with vitamins A, B, D, E, C and K and is a source of various essential minerals. 

ChloroBlast for functional foods 
ChloroBlast’s benefits and composition provide an option to improve functional food and beverages, such as existing and new powdered drink formulations. IBN aims to help the industry replace synthetic chlorophyll with a powerful and natural solution that meets consumer demands for cleaner ingredients.

Innova Market Insights recognized the demand for clean label and plant-based offerings in its “Plant Forward,” top trend for 2021. 

ChloroBlast meets the current demand for clean and sustainable products. Chloroplast concentrate is a raw, organic, vegan and non-GMO product that is not spray-dried at high temperatures like most other alfalfa juice products on the market. 

In addition to alfalfa being one of the “most sustainable crops in the world,” Virentia’s extraction process is fully sustainable because of its carbon-positive and no-waste manufacturing approach.

Edited by Louis Gore-Langton 

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