Beyond The Headlines: dsm-firmenich’s patent victory, Pipa’s latest digital formulation solution
This week in industry news, dsm-firmenich won its patent infringement case in the UK against a Canada-based firm’s intellectual property breach of a breakthrough processing technology. Pipa unveiled a SaaS platform to help CPG companies accelerate product innovation and improve production efficiency. Meanwhile, a US study drew insights from a Native American community to form a standard method of tailoring nutrition education specifically to indigenous diets.
Product launches
Pipa, specializing in food and nutrition innovation, launched the Digital Extruder platform. The new SaaS offering helps CPG companies accelerate product innovation and improve production efficiency. Digital Extruder creates clear connections between food formulation, manufacturing processes, and sensory and nutritional characteristics, “bridging seamlessly these traditionally siloed processes.” As part of the Pipa Operating System, it leverages artificial intelligence, food science, and computational fluid dynamics models to generate digital simulations of food processing techniques including extrusion, baking, and fermentation. The development team leveraged a variety of mathematical tools, including computational fluid dynamics, heat-transfer, food chemistry modeling, and machine learning models to create a solution that connects ingredients and processing methods to consumer liking drivers.
Newly launched Superfood Powder by Juice Plus contains 30 different fruits, vegetables, and berries (Image credit: Juice Plus).Juice Plus launched its Superfood Powder, a powdered on-the-go drink mix based on 30 different fruits, vegetables, and berries alongside plant-based vitamins in one serving. Backed by more than three decades of clinical research, the Superfood Powder claims 12 health benefits for the immune system, skin, gut, body composition, heart, cognitive function, lungs, DNA, and dental health, among target areas. These claims are supported by 33 human clinical studies resulting in 48 published scientific papers.
Business news
In the UK, dsm-firmenich won its patent infringement case against Mara Renewables Corporation and its UK subsidiary, Algal Omega-3 (together “Mara/AO3”). The UK High Court of Justice ruled that Mara/AO3’s unauthorized use of dsm-firmenich’s breakthrough processing technology infringed a valid patent covering algal-based docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) oil development. The intellectual property at the heart of this litigation protects dsm-firmenich’s advances in biotechnology and downstream process engineering, which enable the development and production of high-purity algal DHA oils with superior sensory profiles. After a trial last fall, it was established that Mara/AO3 were infringing a dsm-firmenich patent during a period beginning in 2017. Now, dsm-firmenich intends to pursue a full recovery for the damages suffered on account of the infringement and expressed a greater commitment to defending and enforcing its IP rights in the UK and elsewhere. “Innovation thrives when intellectual property rights are respected,” remarks James Young, VP of Early Life Nutrition, dsm-firmenich.
Public health
A US study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior emphasized the value of integrating Indigenous knowledge and community perspectives into health interventions. The research addressed challenges in defining healthy eating in a “culturally specific” context, which reduces reliance on external food sources and promotes traditional foods. The study stressed the importance of involving local voices to develop sustainable health solutions “rooted in community worldviews and values.” Researchers engaged 54 Osage Nation (Midwestern Native American) community members to define “healthy eating” through a mixed-methods study, combining group concept mapping and focus groups. Their gathered insights informed an eight-module curriculum that blends nutrition education with Indigenous food values. Researchers highlight its potential as a blueprint for culturally tailored health programs. By tailoring health education to the Osage community’s specific cultural food values and context, this initiative aims to “strengthen food sovereignty while promoting well-being.”
New Picadeli research finds 86% of the UK’s adult Gen Z population (ages 18–29) are failing to reach the WHO’s recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables.New research from Picadeli reveals that 86% of the UK’s adult Gen Z population (ages 18–29) are failing to reach the WHO’s recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables. Half of those surveyed had not heard of the guidelines, which advise 400 g of fruit and veg a day. This is despite 94% of Gen Z believing that healthy eating could improve their life. Meanwhile, half fear that their diet is harming their health, and a fifth (19%) say they cannot afford healthy options over cheaper, unhealthy food. Price is also a huge barrier for Gen Z, with over two-fifths (42%) saying that cost is the main reason for not choosing a healthy meal for lunch. When asked what would make them swap a non-salad-based lunch for a lunch salad, 49% stated better pricing. Notably, 92% agree that zero tax on fruit and vegetables would encourage them to make more healthy food choices.
FAO and the Uzbekistan government are working to strengthen school meal programs to improve child nutrition and food security, particularly in rural and low-income areas. At two stakeholder meetings in Tashkent, experts and officials reviewed the current state of school feeding, highlighting progress and challenges, such as inadequate infrastructure and fragmented coordination. A pilot program in Karakalpakstan and Khorezm provides free second breakfasts, but many schools still lack proper infrastructure, and over 40% of canteens need repairs. Experts stress the need for a comprehensive, sustainable system integrating local agriculture, improved governance, and nutrition education. With non-communicable diseases responsible for over 85% of deaths in the country, FAO’s assessment underscores the urgency of national guidelines, better food safety measures, and expanded investment in nutritious student meals.
