Weekly Roundup: Kaneka to launch innovative probiotics line, Plant-based frozen food brand secures US$18m financing

20 Sep 2019 --- In nutrition news this week, Kaneka is launching what is touted as an innovative probiotics line with marketing support from BrandHive. Meanwhile, plant-based frozen foods brand Strong Roots raised over US$18 million in series A financing, while Virtus ETF Advisers invested US$2.24 million in Ingredion. A Nestlé Research-endorsed study pinpointed why some people naturally resist weight gain, while Sabinsa’s Curcumin C3 Complex in combination with BioPerine (CBP) was found to have an inhibitory effect on malignant mesothelioma cells.

In brief: Launches and releases
California-based Kaneka Americas Holding is launching a new proprietary probiotic line, coined Floradapt. The company is collaborating with branding agency BrandHive, which will develop and implement marketing support for the launch. Floradapt’s unique clinical strains provide bioefficacious effects for specific health applications through all stages of life. “Our collaboration with BrandHive will elevate our outreach and generate awareness of our new probiotic line, Floradapt,” says Mike Kolifrath, Vice President of the Probiotics Division at Kaneka. The new line, Floradapt, will officially launch at SupplySide West this year and offers distinct solutions for diverse health targets such as cardio, digestive, oral, immune, vaginal and urinary tract fields.

In brief: Ventures and investments
Irish brand Strong Roots, which seeks to disrupt the frozen food industry with its plant-based, natural health foods, has announced that it has closed a Series A fundraiser at US$18.3 million. The round of investments was led by New York-based private equity firm Goode Partners LLC, while the deal was also advised by Alantra, a global mid-market firm. Strong Roots is touted as the fastest-growing food and beverage brand in the UK where its products are stocked by all major UK retailers, including Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Marks and Spencer. The brand recently expanded into over 3,000 US stores via major retailers, including Target, Wegmans and Whole Foods Market. The company notes that it expects retail sales to reach US$50 million this year and US$300 million by 2023. The company’s growth comes at a time when consumers globally are looking for healthy options. “Consumers are more educated than ever about harnessing the nutritional benefits and delicious taste of plant-based foods and are looking for high-quality options that are convenient to prepare,” says Samuel Dennigan, Strong Roots Founder and CEO.

Sabinsa’s Curcumin C3 Complex in combination with BioPerine (CBP) has an inhibitory effect on malignant mesotheliomaVirtus ETF Advisers has announced that it invested US$2.24 million in Ingredion Inc. during the 2nd quarter of 2019, according to the most recent filing with the US Securities & Exchange Commission. The investment fund acquired 27,158 shares of the company’s stock. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Captrust Financial Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Ingredion in the second quarter worth about US$29.000. Signaturefd LLC also grew its stake in shares of Ingredion by 49.5 percent in the first quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,159 shares of the company’s stock worth US$110.000 after purchasing an additional 384 shares during the last quarter.

In brief: Research and study
New insights from Nestlé Research have found that the body has a natural ability to resist weight gain. Nestlé Research scientists, along with clinical researchers from the Clinical Hospital at the University of St-Etienne, France, identified the molecular aspects underlying the low body weight and fat of individuals with Constitutional Thinness (CT), where individuals eat normally but exhibit a natural resistance to weight gain. The results of the study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed despite having smaller fat cells, people with CT contain more mitochondria, which produce energy in cells. The increased mitochondrial activity results in a higher fat burning rate and, surprisingly, also to higher fat synthesis. These mechanisms lead to an increase in energy expenditure, and thus to resistance to weight gain. “Understanding the natural reasons why some people are resistant to weight gain could provide new biological targets for weight management solutions and could ultimately allow more targeted nutritional approaches for obese people helping them in long-term weight maintenance,” says Dr. Nele Gheldof, from Nestlé Research.

Supplementation with Gnosis’ Chondroitin Sulfate ingredient  has been found effective in the treatment of Moderate Knee Osteoarthritis.Sabinsa’s Curcumin C3 Complex in combination with BioPerine (CBP) has an inhibitory effect on malignant mesothelioma (MM) cells, according to an in vitro and in vivo study published in the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research. MM is an aggressive form of cancer primarily associated with exposure to asbestos fibers. Long latency, non-specific clinical symptoms, and resistance to chemotherapy render MM especially dangerous. The study explored the combined use of CBP in drug-susceptible and drug-resistant MM cancer cell-types. The researchers found that CBP worked well in synergistically impairing the cancer cell viability, cellular self-renewal ability, cell proliferation rate, and cell migration as assessed by wound-healing assay. The onset of apoptosis of cancer cells in drug-susceptible and resistant ones was also determined to occur by the activation of an intrinsic pathway through an altered ratio of certain proteins. “Research suggesting that utilization of our flagship ingredients in combination with standard pharmacological therapies may pave the way to developing alternative and more effective treatment regimens for MM is encouraging, as its prognosis, at present, remains poor,” says Sabinsa’s founder, Dr. Muhammed Majeed. 

Supplementation with non-animal Gnosis’ Chondroitin Sulfate (CS) ingredient – branded as Mythocondro – has been found effective in the treatment of Moderate Knee Osteoarthritis (MKO) in overweight human subjects. This is according to a new study published in the Nutrients Journal that showed that chondroitin supplementation led to significant decreases in scores on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), compared to a placebo. In addition, chondroitin supplementation also led to improvement in the Tegner Lysholm Knee Scoring (TLKS) scale, which is a measure of knee functions and symptoms. The company notes that it is the first and only vegetarian chondroitin sulfate obtained through an innovative fermentation-based manufacturing process protected by relevant and consistent intellectual property, providing a reliable and reproducible source of CS. Unlike common animal-derived CS sold in the market, Mythocondro is not made from extracts of animal tissues and therefore, further to be suitable for vegetarians, vegans and people with dietary restrictions related to their religion, Gnosis says.

In brief: Miscellaneous
Access to healthy diets such as the Mediterranean diet is critical for achieving the UN’s Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, and such diets must be protected and promoted. This was the main message at an event organized by the Government of Italy with support from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) aimed at deepening understanding of the Mediterranean diet and raising awareness on how it can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The event – the first of a series of Mediterranean diet-related events – focuses on the origins, history, traditions and landscapes of the Mediterranean diet, and the principles on which it lies. It brings together Mediterranean diet-related experts ranging from anthropologists to nutritionists and representatives of Italy's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UN agencies and academia.

By Kristiana Lalou