Cognis signs new Tonalin CLA deal in Norway, Sweden

Martin Weider, Cognis Health and Nutrition's business manager for North Europe, said that Bringwell is the ideal licensing partner for Tonalin CLA in Scandinavia and is "ideally placed to realise the growth potential"​.

Tonalin has previously been available in supplements in Norway through Midelfart since 1999. In fact, Tonalin CLA has its roots in the country since the patents, licensed to Cognis, are held by Natural.

CLA stands for conjucated linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated, fatty acid that occurs naturally in the human diet increase weight reduction and keep off bay fat.

Tonalin CLA is produced through a proprietary process involving safflowers. The company says that the result is the "highest quality of CLA available"​, with "the lowest amount of non-naturally occurring isomers"​.

Tonalin CLA is amongst Cognis' best performing branded ingredients. The company said at the end of last year that, together with sterols, it helped offset the impact of falling vitamin E sales for the company.

Although the private equity-owned company released no figures about Tonalin sales at the time, it seems that the branding campaign is paying off.

In Finland it was selected as 'Health Product of the Year 2006' by the Finnish Health Food Shop-Keeping Association, which also praised the science-based consumer-facing marketing programme.

Last year Tonalin CLA was voted 'Product of the Year' in a poll of Spanish consumers, following the introduction of a line of enriched milk, yogurt and juice products by the Spanish company Corporación Alimentaria Peñasanta, under the brand name of NaturLinea.

Sales during the first nine months of 2005 at Cognis' Nutrition and Health unit were up 5.8 per cent over the prior same period, at €229 m.