NutriLeads signs distribution agreement with Lehvoss Group to represent Benicaros on the EMEA market

03 Jun 2024 --- NutriLeads, a prebiotics developer based in Wageningen in the Netherlands, has announced a new agreement with Lehvoss, which will distribute the company’s Benicaros precision prebiotic for gut health and immunity within the European, Middle Eastern and African (EMEA) market.

“Lehvoss has extensive relationships throughout the supplement and food industry,” Joana Carneiro, Ph.D., NutriLeads CEO, tells Nutrition Insight. “They can help us reach decision-makers about the innovation and sales opportunities available with Benicaros. It is an exciting, multifunctional ingredient with strong clinical research and attractive formulation attributes.”

“EMEA is one of the world’s largest and most influential markets,” she adds. “It is a very important market for NutriLeads, as consumer awareness of the importance of gut health continues to grow.”

Carneiro asserts that the trend toward plant-based diets and supplement options continues to gain momentum. 

“We believe Benicaros is an innovative gut and immune health solution that will have strong consumer interest in the EMEA region,” she highlights.

Benicaros in the EMEA
Discussing NutriLeads’ plans to navigate the regulatory environments in the highly diverse countries of the EMEA region, Carneiro points out: “Earlier this year, we launched five Benicaros product options to accommodate diverse customer formulation needs.”

“The expanded product lineup includes Benicaros with varying concentration levels of cRG-I (rhamnogalacturonan-I) to allow for larger daily serving sizes. These variations in purity are also designed to meet European regulatory requirements and align with a wide range of application needs,” she states.

The Benicaros carrot pomace ingredient selectively targets beneficial microorganisms prevalent in most people.Ivan Pennington, head of nutrition for the Lehvoss Group, also comments on the new partnership: “We are excited to represent Benicaros in the EMEA market. This is a strong product supported by clinicals, which will resonate with our innovative customer base.”

Gut health benefits
Carneiro explains that “the consistent and reliable gut health benefits of Benicaros” are made possible by its complex molecular structure. “Many prebiotics with simpler structures undergo fermentation by a wide range of microorganisms, leading to a competitive fermentation process. The outcomes of this competition are strongly influenced by the existing composition of the gut microbiota, causing the potential health benefits to vary significantly from person to person.”

A recent randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study demonstrated that Benicaros passes through the gut, where it is fermented rather than digested. “It generates a cascade of beneficial effects,” states Carneiro.

“The fermentation of Benicaros requires collaboration (cross-feeding) between a specialized consortium of gut bacteria, including strains linked with diverse health benefits. In this way, Benicaros selectively targets beneficial microorganisms prevalent in most people.”

Sustainable extraction 
Another important aspect of the Benicaros development process and strategy, according to the NutriLeads CEO, is environmental sustainability.

“It is one of our core values,” she asserts. “Benicaros is produced from upcycled carrot pomace, the byproduct of carrot juicing.”

“Carrots are one of the world’s most trusted and beloved vegetables, and NutriLeads has access to sustainable, traceable and scalable supplies of carrot pomace. “We capture the fresh carrot pomace from the juicing process and immediately begin our natural and proprietary extraction process to unlock Benicaros, scientifically known as cRG-I (rhamnogalacturonan-I), from the carrot cell wall.” 

Carneiro notes that with a low-dose (300 mg daily), “Benicaros enables food, beverage and supplement manufacturers to create products that deliver consistent and reliable benefits to consumers.” 

“This leads to higher consumer satisfaction and brand loyalty,” she concludes.

By Milana Nikolova