Weekly Roundup: Gencor and Kaneka receive health claims approvals for Canadian markets, Lonza responds to fatal accident

31 Jan 2020 --- In nutrition news this week, Gencor received four health claims for its female healthy aging ingredient Libifem in Canada. Kaneka Americas Holding (Kaneka) also obtained Canadian approval for its Floradapt Cardio probiotic ingredient as supportive of cardiovascular health. Meanwhile, a Lonza production plant suffered a fatal accident following a gas leak. The Urban School Food Alliance spoke out about the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s recent changes to US school nutrition standards. In scientific endeavors, the majority of omega 3 supplements sold in the US were found to be “of good quality,” while research revealed natural, algae-based astaxanthin is more efficacious than synthetic or yeast-based astaxanthin.

In brief: Approvals and recognitions
Gencor gained four Canadian health claims for its women’s healthy aging ingredient, Libifem, derived from fenugreek extract. Libifem products in Canada can now claim that they “help increase women’s sexual desire,” “help support women’s healthy sex drive and libido,” “help promote women’s sexual arousal” and “may help reduce menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats.” Libifem is part of Gencor’s portfolio of healthy ingredients for women, each of which is backed by scientific studies and based on the various stages of a woman’s life.

Gencor's Libifem is part of the company's ingredient portfolio for female health.Kaneka received Health Canada Class III approval for Floradapt Cardio – its patented probiotic solution – under the Natural Health Products Directorate (NHPD). This approval assessed Floradapt as safe, effective and of high quality, Kaneka affirms. Health Canada now allows for claims Floradapt to include “source of probiotics,” “could promote favorable gut flora,” and “supports cardiovascular health.” Floradapt includes strains for concerns relating to digestion gum health, immunity, vaginal health and the urinary tract. 

The South Korean Ministry of Food & Drug Safety (MFDS) recognized the effect of Activ’Inside’s Memophenol – a patented formulation of grape and blueberry polyphenols – on memory. The ingredient is touted as being a memory booster to prevent the age-related cognitive decline of seniors and to enhance cognitive performance for students. “We are confident that this positive scientific opinion will allow wider applications of our ingredient in health supplements as we believe cognitive performance is and will remain a major concern worldwide,” maintains Benoit Lemaire, CEO and Business and Marketing Vice President of Activ’Inside.

In brief: Accidents
Lonza began full investigation of the fatal accident at its plant in Visp, Switzerland, a combination of technical issues and human action. A localized hydrogen cyanide gas leak occurred in a production plant, which led to fatal injuries sustained by one employee. Based on these findings, the investigation team and operational management carried out a detailed safety assessment of the site and concluded that work at the production plant could recommence safely on January 28, 2020. “Safety remains our priority at Lonza. There are lessons to be learned from the findings of this investigation and we will be taking every precaution to ensure that we safeguard against any further accidents,” says Albert Baehny, Chairman and CEO ad interim, Lonza Group. 

In brief: Public response
The Urban School Food Alliance, a coalition of the largest school districts in the US, responded to the recent USDA changes to school nutrition standards. The Alliance is in favor of the USDA reducing the administrative burden and food waste, as well as altering some “unnecessary” restrictions. It stated that forbidding adding fresh fruits and vegetables to flavored water for students seems like “an unnecessary burden that is removed in the proposal.” Likewise, the Alliance supported making a meat or alternative easily available for breakfast rather than all of the grains that are now required. “We know that protein adds satiety to the meal and gives energy for a longer period of time. By adding protein, the menu may also be lower in sugar,” says the Alliance. 

In brief: Launches
CBD brand Joy Organics has launched two additional THC-free flavors – Green Apple and Strawberry Lemonade – to its CBD gummies line. Gummies are a currently popular CBD application, with Joy Organics’ gummies providing a natural, vegan and tasteful CBD option. The gummies are also touted for being sweet but not packed with corn syrup and vegan but still having the gooey texture sought after in gummies. The new gummies contain 10 mg of Joy Organics broad-spectrum CBD oil each and are available online as of this week.

Shamrock Farms launched its Rockin' Protein Plus beverage, arriving in two different flavors.Shamrock Farms launched its latest innovation Rockin’ Protein Plus, a ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage combining 20 g of protein and superfruits with milk. The launch arrives in two flavors – Cherry Crème and Blueberry Pomegranate – boasting the health advantages of anti-inflammation and antioxidants from real fruit juice. The RTD line is also lactose- and added sugar-free. The company touts the line as a good source of protein and vitamins A, C and E, providing a nutrient boost needed to facilitate staying healthy with busy lifestyles. 

In brief: Research and studies
A recent study conducted by the Global Organization for EPA and DHA omega 3s (GOED) tested the quality of 48 of the most-widely sold EPA/DHA omega 3 supplements in the US. It found that the majority of the most consumed US EPA/DHA retail supplements were of “good quality.” Moreover, most omega 3 products’ nutrient content is consistent with the label declaration and contain levels of oxidation per industry and pharmacopeial quality requirements. However, many products left room for improvement regarding the oxidative quality and EPA/DHA content. Forty-eight percent of the products contained less than the EPA/ DHA amount declared on the label, although they are still within the current legal range. The study concluded that evaluating the compliance for products sold in the US remains a challenge given the lack of government regulations on oxidative quality specific to dietary supplements and unclear content labeling requirements.

In three different case studies, astaxanthin from the algal species Haematococcus pluvialis proved significantly more efficacious and biologically active than either synthetic astaxanthin or astaxanthin from the genetically-mutated yeast called Phaffia. This is according to a peer-reviewed publication of review paper from Algae Health Sciences, finding that algal-based astaxanthin performed significantly better for a variety of health benefits such as increasing lifespan, treating skin cancer, preventing the formation of gastric ulcers, improving resistance to stress, improving exercise endurance, decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and augmenting enzyme levels.

Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma and Exscientia have begun a clinical trial for their new drug called DSP-1181, which was created using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). “We believe that this entry of DSP-1181 into clinical studies is a key milestone in drug discovery. This project’s rapid success was through strong alignment of the integrated knowledge and experiences in chemistry and pharmacology on monoamine G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) drug discovery at Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma with our AI technologies,” says Andrew Hopkins, CEO of Exscientia. The use of Exscientia’s AI platform cut the exploratory research phase from an anticipated 4.5 years to less than 12 months.

By Anni Schleicher