Weekly Roundup: DSM completes Erber acquisition, Nutrition21’s amylopectin chromium complex boosts protein power

02 Oct 2020 --- This week in nutrition news, DSM sold its Resins & Functional Materials business while it completed its Erber acquisition. Meanwhile, Nutrition21 revealed that its amylopectin chromium complex can boost the effects of whey protein. Other moves include Optibiotix entering a distribution agreement for Singapore and Anagenix purchasing a new manufacturing facility in a seven-figure deal.

In brief: Business news
DSM has completed its €980 million (US$1.2 billion) acquisition of Erber Group, which was first announced in June. This comes days after the company sold its Resins & Functional Materials (RFM) business to Covestro AG for an equity value of €1.6 billion (US$1.9 billion). The company will provide re-stated figures for its Materials Cluster ahead of its Q3 results. It also expects to receive approximately €1.4 billion (US$1.6 billion) net in cash following closing, which is anticipated to be in H1 2021.

OptiBiotix Health entered into an exclusive distribution agreement for its weight management product SlimBiome Medical with United Italian Trading Corporation (UITC). The agreement grants UITC exclusive rights to distribute SlimBiome Medical in Singapore. Exclusivity is subject to UITC placing a first order of SlimBiome Medical by the end of November for a minimum quantity of 3,000 boxes and increasing annual sales targets.

Aker BioMarine’s new warehouse will provide a platform to expand the reach of QRILL Aqua products outside of India.Aker BioMarine opened a distribution warehouse in Chennai, India, to keep the region “well-stocked with QRILL Aqua products.” It aims to strengthen the company’s local presence in India while also targeting across-border customers with its krill-based ingredients for fish and shrimp feeds. Notably, India is one of the world’s largest shrimp markets, which makes the new warehouse “of strategic importance” for Aker BioMarine.

Canada-based Wellness Natural acquired SimplyProtein, a nutritional snacking brand previously owned by Simply Good Foods USA, Inc. The SimplyProtein line includes a rich assortment of bars, cookies, chips, and crunchy bites, for both adults and children. SimplyProtein is marketed as having clean ingredients, plant-based protein, high fiber, 0-3 g of sugar, gluten-free and Non-GMO Project Verified.

New Zealand nutraceutical ingredients company Anagenix purchased a nutritional product manufacturing facility from natural health products company, Vitaco. The seven-figure deal includes all assets at the site and the premise’s ten-year lease. Anagenix manufactures and markets locally grown kiwifruit and boysenberry-apple powders, gently processed from non-GMO whole fruits that retain a high bioactivity level. The company predicts that the manufacturing facility will enable it to triple its fruit drying and ingredient processing capacity over the next two to three years.

Happiness Biotech Group, a China-based nutraceutical and dietary supplements producer, entered into a certain securities purchase agreement with three non-US investors. This is pursuant to which the company agreed to sell 900,000 ordinary shares at a per-share purchase price of US$2.50. Happiness Biotech intends to use the gross proceeds in the development of Happy Buy’s B2B e-Commerce business as well as for working capital and general corporate use.

In brief: Launches and releases
Bolthouse Farms is adding Superfood Immunity Boost to its juices and smoothies portfolio. With consumers making more mindful choices at the shelf, Bolthouse Farms has met the demand for more functional, immunity-supporting products as wellness routines are maintained at home. The new blend was crafted with elderberry, cranberry and echinacea and an excellent source of vitamin C, D and zinc. They will be available on retail store shelves in late-October this year. The new Superfood Immunity Boost juice line is touted as helping support a healthy immune system (Credit: PRNewsfoto/Bolthouse Farms).

ResveratrolCR, Inc. expanded its resveratrol-based blends of antioxidant Oh Grape under its brand name Groove. The vitamin supplement blend targets immune system support against viral attacks such as COVID-19. Daily recommended dosage, taken twice per day, an Oh Grape veggie capsule contains 500 mg resveratrol, 675 mg vitamin C, 2,000 IU vitamin D3 and 150 mg magnesium.

In brief: Research and study
Velositol – Nutrition21’s patented amylopectin chromium complex – added to 15 g of whey protein performs better than 30 g of whey protein alone. The study enrolled 35 recreationally active male subjects between 35 and 55 years. All of the subjects were randomly allocated to one of three groups: an active group, a low-dose comparator group or a high-dose comparator group. Velositol + 15 g whey protein not only significantly outperformed 15 g of whey protein (alone) but also 30 g of whey protein (alone) in several athletic performance measurements, including muscle endurance, strength and power. These improvements were evident in “as little as four weeks,” highlights Nutrition21.

In brief: Miscellaneous
LNC Therapeutics is changing its name to YSOPIA Bioscience. The French biotech company harnesses the properties of keystone single-strain bacteria to develop microbiome-based drugs. The company says its new name marks its development strategy and its transition to a clinical-stage biotechnology company. YSOPIA is inspired by the Greek word for balance, an essential characteristic of a healthy intestinal microbiome, which contributes to its proper functioning and positive impact on human health.

By Anni Schleicher and Katherine Durrell