Weekly Roundup: Balchem completes Kappa Bioscience US$338M acquisition, Lallemand unveils probiotic production hub

24 Jun 2022 --- This week in nutrition news, Balchem completed its acquisition of Kappa Bioscience for a value of NOK 3.175 billion (US$338 million). Lallemand Health Solutions inaugurated a new probiotic bacteria production plant. Meanwhile, Kyowa Hakko Bio’s 2'-Fucosyllactose human milk oligosaccharide (HMO) passed China’s safety evaluation.

In brief: Business news
Manufacturer of Vitamin K2 Kappa Bioscience will be included in Balchem’s Human Nutrition and Health business segment following the acquisition completion. Vitamin K2 is a specialty vitamin that plays a crucial role in the human body for bone health, heart health, immunity and athletic performance. Primarily, Vitamin K2 supports the transport and distribution of calcium in the body. Vitamin K2 is necessary at all life stages, from pregnancy and early life to healthy aging. 

Lallemand Health Solutions doubled its production capacity with the inauguration of its probiotic bacteria production plant, Harmonium II, in Mirabel, Canada. The 11,000 m² plant uses “state-of-the-art” equipment and production processes. The company adds that Harmonium II complies with quality standards and good manufacturing practices for producing probiotic dietary supplements. This new facility includes machinery for fermenting, freeze-drying and packaging probiotics.

Genuine Health’s Clear Focus with Lion’s Mane Mushroom supplement may support focus and brain health.Else Nutrition and specialty retailer of baby products Buybuy Baby agreed to the sale of Else’s products in Buybuy Baby’s 133 outlets. The move will expand Else Nutrition’s reach in North America and make the company’s plant-based complete nutrition for babies, toddlers and children. Additionally, the agreement will allow Else to increase its national presence and reach new customers with the retailer.

In brief: Launches and releases
Genuine Health introduced Clear Focus with Lion’s Mane Mushroom supplement that is pegged as a natural daily solution for improved focus, brain health support and stress resistance. The lion’s mane mushroom has been clinically proven to support brain health and improve cognitive performance. Meanwhile, the green tea extract and L-Theanine work synergistically to support calm focus, attention and memory. Additionally, nootropic and adaptogen ingredients red ginseng improve learning, memory, focus and resistance to stress.

In brief: Accreditation and announcements
Kyowa Hakko Bio’s 2’-Fucosyllactose HMO passed the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs safety inspection. In China, the safety approval of the manufacturing strains is the first step in registering new raw materials produced with bioengineering technology. Kyowa Hakko Bio is moving forward to the next stage of the approval process, which is the 2’-FL authorization of use as a food additive in infant formulas. Additionally, Kyowa Hakko Bio has filed for approval of its new ingredients in various Asian countries. The production of Kyowa Hakko Bio’s HMOs is scheduled to begin in September 2022 at Kyowa Hakko Bio’s manufacturing facility in Thailand.

Researchers found an extract of a Japanese medicinal mushroom can assist the body in removing persistent HPV infections.The Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) authority added 22 self-substantiated food-health relationship claims for Clasado Biosciences’ prebiotic galactooligosaccharide ingredient, Bimuno GOS, in the FSANZ database of food-health relationships. The submissions were made in collaboration with Australia-New Zealand distribution partner Pathway International. This move allows manufacturers and brands in Australia and New Zealand to include a range of gut support claims on the packaging of food products that contain Bimuno GOS. The available claims for Bimuno GOS include supporting the gut microbiome, maintaining digestive health and supporting immune function.

In brief: Research and studies
Lallemand Health Ingredient’s Gastro-AD was found in a study to have protective effects on gastric injury induced by ethanol/HCL treatment in rats. The oral administration of Gastro-AD may therefore prevent gastric damage by suppressing gastric acid secretion. Gastritis refers to inflammatory diseases caused by an imbalance in the gastric environment of the stomach. Gastritis symptoms can include indigestion, burning pain, nausea and vomiting. Gastro-AD is a soybean fermented using Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. delbrueckii or Rosell-187. Previously, this supplement was shown to suppress heartburn in individuals who experienced mild or moderate heartburn.

Researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, US, discovered that an extract of a Japanese medicinal mushroom could assist the body in removing persistent HPV infections. The study revealed that daily consumption of a mushroom extract AHCC supported the immune system in clearing HPV infections in two-thirds of study participants after six months of supplementation. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US, affecting more than 80% of sexually active adults at least once. The study focused on women with a two-year history of persistent high-risk HPV. Researchers confirmed that of those who received six months of AHCC, followed by six months of placebo, 63.6% (14 of 22) cleared the infection with no adverse side effects.

By Nicole Kerr