New flax lignan hits US market
the North American market, which it hopes will help address a
growing consumer focus on a number of health conditions, including
prostate and heart health.
The company said a main benefit of its new ingredient is that it contains up to 70 times more SDG - a source of lignan - than ground up flax seed. This is the first time the company has entered the flax lignan market, which it identified as one of high potential further to its own research on consumer health concerns, Michelle Banks, sales and marketing executive, told NutraIngredients-USA.com. Benefits Flaxseed is one of the best sources of vegetarian omega-3 in the form of alpha linolenic acid, which has been studied for its role in heart, immune, and joint health, as well as for maintaining good skin. Flaxseed is one of the sources for dietary lignan, which has been linked to a reduced risk of a wide range of conditions, including breast and prostate cancers, as well as reduced hair loss. SDG (Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside) is the main lignan found in flax and is said to help maintain overall health including prostate, cardiovascular, colon and breast tissue health. Chinese plant Cactus Botanics said its new ingredient will be produced at the company's ISO-certified plant in Shanghai, China. The company said the ingredient is around 10 percent cheaper than competitive flax seed lignans currently on the market. Other ingredients supplied by Cactus Botanics are hyaluronic acid - for skin health - and brown seaweed extract - for immune health. However, because these are already established products in the company's portfolio, Cactus Botanics said it will be focusing around 80 percent of its marketing resources in the coming year on its new flax seed lignan. The company was unable to provide further information on its ingredient in time for publication. Growing market Cactus Botanics will be competing against names such as ADM and Biogin Biochemicals, which already supply the ingredient on the US market. Indeed, ADM last month received registration for its BeneFlax ingredient from the Canadian regulatory authority, opening up the way for dietary supplement manufacturers in Canada to seek approval for their products made with BeneFlax by referencing data provided in the BeneFlax Master File. Beneflax has a 35 percent minimum concentration of SDG. Chinese ingredient firm Biogin is also responding to market growth - last year, it increased production capacity for its Alcalife ingredient by 35 percent. The company further enhanced the profile of the line when it increased the SDG concentration of the flax lignans to 40 percent standardized.
