Marinova’s Maritech Fucoidan Attains GRAS Status

30 May 2017 --- Australian biotechnology company Marinova has announced that its Maritech fucoidan extracts have attained GRAS (Generally Recognised As Safe) status. Fucoidan is a bioactive polysaccharide that occurs naturally in brown seaweed. According to the company, these Maritech ingredients are the first and only high purity fucoidan extracts to achieve FDA notified GRAS status.

“Maritech fucoidan extracts have broad and potent bioactivities that make this versatile ingredient well suited for nutritional supplements and functional foods and beverages. Their key areas of demonstrated efficacy include tumor suppression, immune modulation, gut health, inflammation, anti-aging and viral inhibition,” Claire Smoorenburg, Marketing & Communications Officer at Marinova, tells NutritionInsight.

The FDA released a statement saying that “based on the information that Marinova provided, as well as other information available to the FDA,” the authority has “no questions at this time regarding Marinova’s conclusion that fucoidan from F. vesiculosus is GRAS under its intended conditions of use,” e.g. for ingestion as a food ingredient. The evaluation process included scientific research, confirming safety at rates of up to 250mg per day.

“Marinova’s high purity, bioactive fucoidan extracts are suited for use in nutritional, pharmaceutical and dermatological applications,” Smoorenburg says. “Maritech fucoidan is a key ingredient in a vast range of nutraceutical and cosmetic products currently available on the market. As the world’s leading fucoidan supplier to research institutions and nutraceutical and pharmaceutical companies, Marinova exports its fucoidan extracts to more than 25 countries across the globe. At present, our major markets are North America and Asia, with Europe also emerging as a significant market for the future.”

“GRAS recognition is a testament to the safety and quality of Maritech fucoidan extracts, giving our customers even further confidence that they are getting the highest quality and most effective fucoidan ingredients on the market,” says Dr. Damien Stringer, Marinova’s Operations Manager.

The attainment of GRAS status complements existing regulatory accreditations in other countries, including Australia, Canada, Europe and China. Moreover, the GRAS status adds to the certified-organic, non-GMO, Kosher and Halal certifications of the Maritech fucoidan extract range.

Following on from attaining GRAS status for the fucoidan extracts, Marinova is “continuing to investigate the therapeutic benefits of fucoidan in a range of human health settings through our extensive research program. Current areas of research include anti-tumorigenic activity, stem cell mobilization, gastric health and immune modulation. We are currently conducting human clinical trials in both Australia and the USA, investigating the benefit of fucoidan as a supplementary cancer therapy in a range of tumor types, and results from these clinical trials are expected to be published in the near future.”

NutritionInsight's sister website, FoodIngredientsFirst, recently reported on the increasing interest in seaweed, which is tipped to become the next super green “superfood.” Innova Market Insights has reported a +10% increase in global supplements launches containing seaweed ingredients (2015 vs. 2014). Global product launch activity containing seaweed ingredients has risen consistently since 2011, with 4% growth in launches reported between 2014 and 2015. 

“There is indeed a rapidly growing interest in seaweed and its derivatives, driven by increasing scientific interest in this field. Over 1500 scientific papers have now been published demonstrating the bioactivity and therapeutic benefits of fucoidan. Our fucoidan extracts have been in particular demand due to growing consumer request for organic, non-GMO products. Marinova stands alone as the only manufacturer of certified organic, high purity fucoidan in the world,” Smoorenburg concludes.

by Lucy Gunn