TriNutra unveils organic black seed oil after three years of R&D

23 Nov 2020 --- Israel-based TriNutra is releasing an organic cold-pressed black seed oil (BSO), standardized to 3 percent thymoquinone. Created in partnership with NS Oils – a seed- and oil-producing kibbutz in the Negev desert – the product has taken three years to cultivate organically and boasts positive impacts on blood pressure and heart rates.

The black seed (Nigella sativa), also known as fennel flower or black cumin seed, is tricky to produce with a consistent quality of its main active ingredient thymoquinone, sold under the brand name ThymoQuin.

Organic demand rising
Over the past three years, the collaboration has strived to reach this standard. By doing so, ThymoQuin has earned the national organic certification, something it also says meets growing consumer demand for organic produce. 

“TriNutra did a phenomenal job working with their family farmers to develop the seed and build a reliable supply chain to ensure a consistent supply of organic ThymoQuin,” says Chris Holland, vice president of Barrington Nutritionals, the distributor of TriNutra’s products in North America. 

“Our customers are increasingly looking for ingredients that meet organic, non-GMO and other sustainability standards to help differentiate their brands.”

The chemistry of the organic BSO is similar to the standard variant, Morris Zelkha, CEO of TriNutra, explains to NutritionInsight. 

“It is still too early to analyze the health benefits of the organic black seed crop compared to regular BSO.”

Organic ThymoQuin has taken three years to produce. 

Complex production process
TriNutra has been producing its flagship product ThymoQuin for years with a yield two to three times higher than the market standard, the company states. Creating an organic edition of the product has come at considerable effort.

“The main difficulty is to cultivate the high-thymoquinone varieties of black cumin seed consistently. We need the confidence that we have the same results for each crop,” says Zelkha. 

“This involves repeatedly ensuring the proper climatic conditions, irrigation and sowing time.”

Growing high-quality seeds in the right climate and environment and using the correct extraction methods have been vital in achieving the company’s exceptional standard, says the company. 

“Quality seeds have always been an important aspect of TriNutra’s business model, and delivering organic means that we can further meet the demands of consumers,” continues Zelkha. 

“We wanted to make sure we do it right, no cutting corners. Now we have full confidence in our ability to deliver organic ThymoQuin to our customers.”

Wide-ranging health benefits 
Cold-pressed BSO has been shown in clinical trials to impact blood pressure and heart rate levels positively. 

In a study funded by TriNutra earlier this year, participants consuming ThymoQuin were found to have significantly improved blood circulations. 

Given that over a third of the US adult population experience hypertension, the product can play an essential role in maintaining health, says the company. 

By Louis Gore-Langton