Chr Hansen inks Japanese probiotic-plant extract deal
The five year deal between Chr Hansen and Amino Up Chemical unites the two in research on potential combinations between the Danish firm’s probiotic strains and Amino Up’s extracts that include polyphenols and polysaccharides.
Chr Hansen gains the global marketing rights for any new products bar Japan, which will remain under Amino Up control.
While the deal has been announced this morning, the two companies have already begun work together and said initial study results were promising in the immunity and weight management areas they were targeting.
“Further clinical trials are in the pipeline over the next six months,” marketing director in probiotic cultures at Chr Hansen, Lars Bredmose, told NutraIngredients. “But we partnered with Amino Up because of their scientifically well-documented ingredients.”
He said research would be conducted at both companies’ labs in Denmark and Japan.
“Some studies have already confirmed synergistic effects of our new products,” said Dr Hajime Fujii, executive director in the R&D division at Amino Up.
“These products are being finalised to be introduced to the global market.”
Foods and claims
He said food supplements were the initial primary focus, with functional foods work to develop over a longer period as stability and food application work had a longer timeframe before products were ready for public consumption.
Asked if the move was in any way triggered by the to-date unanimous rejection of probiotic health benefits by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) he said: “No this has nothing to do with that. We are pursuing a separate strategy in relation to the EFSA situation. We have been exploring new combinations for probiotics for some time and we will continue to pursue that vividly.”
Amino Up was established in Sapporo, Japan, in 1984.
