Biofortis unites global nutrition research activity in western France

Nutritional researcher and trial designer Biofortis has opened a new HQ that will centralise its four main operations near the western French city of Nantes.

The facility will house the four main activities of the enterprise: Clinical studies, contract research activities, a central laboratory, and sensory and consumer studies under a 2300m roof with 70 employees.

Some of the work conducted there will be done in collaboration with the other Mérieux NutriSciences-owned operations in China, Brazil and the US.

The GCP (Good Clinical practices), COFRAC (French Accreditation committee) and ISO (International Organisation for Standardization)-certified facility will be organised around areas like sensory studies, consumer testing and clinical trials, microbiology and molecular biology.

300+ studies completed

“Since the creation of Biofortis a decade ago, the company has become a leading innovator in nutrition,” said Dr Michel du Peloux,senior VP of Mérieux NutriSciences and Head of Biofortis.

“With over 300 clinical studies completed, multi-centric projects in different countries, a Central Lab and best-in- class customised projects in intestinal flora research, our global expertise is largely concentrated in the food, pharmaceutical or medical nutrition sectors.”

Biofortis has worked heavily in intestinal flora research, biomarker development and sensory analysis.

Mérieux NutriSciences president and CEO Philippe Sans added: “Biofortis is integral to Mérieux NutriSciences’ focus on innovation for nutrition. This major investment in Saint-Herblain provides us with additional means to serve our international clientele and become the reference partner for R&D teams in the food sector.”

President of Institut Mérieux, Alain Mérieux, said: “Since its inception, Institute Mérieux has been committed to medicine and global public health. With the emergence of new risks linked to food safety, an increased understanding of links between infectious disease, metabolism and nutrition, and major scientific progress in metagenome, the contributions of Mérieux NutriSciences hold significance on a worldwide scale.”

Institut Mérieux, via its subsidiary Silliker, bought 10-year-old Biofortis in 2009. In 2008 Silliker made no less than three acquisitions: Brazilian analytical firm BioAgri; Portuguese food testing and consulting lab EGI; and Pioneer Dairy Laboratories in the US.