Weekly Digest: UK exhibit to “bring our microbial galaxy to life,” Plasma Nutrition debuts “improved bioavailability” ioBCAA 

29 Jun 2018 --- This week in nutrition, Plasma Nutrition debuted its ioBCAA with “improved bioavailability,” while Campden BRI's vitamin D analysis in food and drink was accredited by UKAS and BTSA opened a new sales office in the US. An exhibit coined Guardians of the Gut will run at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in London this year. In further news, AstaReal Group is celebrating 30 years of research and innovation in the natural astaxanthin industry and Sami-Sabinsa group celebrated receiving the Best Manufacturer Exporter Award Gold in Bangalore, India. 

In brief: Launches and certifications
Plasma Nutrition has debuted a new BCAA product called ioBCAA, which has “improved bioavailability” following a University of South Florida study finding that the company's “ingredient optimized” technology makes branch chain amino acids (BCAA’s) more bioavailable. The study compared the effects of 10g of ioBCAA to 10g of a standard, non-optimized BCAA. The results show that ioBCAA is significantly more bioavailable than normal BCAAs. For the startup’s co-founders, Steve Motosko and Chris Flynn-Rozanski, the results of the study show that their technology is not just limited to protein, another significant step in the development of their ingredient innovation platform.

Campden BRI has been awarded the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accreditation for vitamin D analysis in food and drink, bringing their total number of UKAS accreditations to ten. Dr. Amanda Foster, Principal Research Officer at Campden BRI, says, “We are delighted to have received UKAS accreditation for our vitamin testing methods. UKAS accreditation demonstrates our commitment to provide the best specialist analytical services to the food and drink industry.” Knowing what vitamins, and in what quantity, are in products and ingredients can be advantageous for developing new products, making health claims and complying with food labeling legislation.

Manufacturer of natural antioxidants, natural vitamin E and omega 3 for food, cosmetics and personal care, BTSA, has opened a new sales office in the US. After the opening of its Mexican branch three years ago, the Spanish company continues with its internationalization plans in the Americas. Ana Victoria Ugidos, CEO of BTSA says “with this new opening, we’re entering the most important phase of our corporate growth, betting very strongly for growth in the US and Canada. I know we will soon see very positive results given the demands we already see from this region.” The company currently export from Spain to all of Europe, the US, Canada, Latin America, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, India, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

In brief: Research studies
The much-researched microbiome will be the focus of the Guardians of the Gut exhibit at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2018 in London, UK. The Guardians of the Gut exhibit has been developed by the Hall Lab at the Quadram Institute and will inform visitors about the variety of bacteria that colonize the gut through a “giant, interactive gut” simulation. The interactive exhibit will cover what happens in the gut when the body goes on antibiotics or the person changes their diet, for example. Dr. Lindsay Hall, exhibit research leader, says, “We can’t wait to engage with the public during this week-long science exhibition, and bring our microbial galaxy to life.”

In brief: Miscellaneous 
AstaReal Group is celebrating 30 years of research and innovation in the natural astaxanthin industry. This year, the group will highlight essential milestones in its journey from being a Swedish start-up to a strong market player with two “state-of-the-art” production facilities and global offices. The anniversary will coincide with the unveiling of the results of several new studies in areas such as muscle performance and sarcopenia, as well as collaborations with leading integrative healthcare advocates. AstaReal Group will also be launching new products such as water-soluble powders and a range of novel finished formats.

Lastly, Sami-Sabinsa Group, which manufactures and markets phytonutrients and standardized herbal extracts and specialty fine chemicals, has been awarded the Best Manufacturer Exporter Award Gold at the 13th Export Excellence Awards organized by the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FKCCI) in Bangalore, India. The Export Excellence Awards are presented annually to the top exporters from the Indian state of Karnataka for “outstanding” performance.

By Laxmi Haigh