OptiBiotix launches updated SlimBiome range after Knighton Foods deal
The deal is with Knighton Foods, a division of Premier Foods that supplies powdered products to supermarkets and coffee houses, allows for a profit sharing agreement in which Knighton will manufacture and distribute OptiBiotix’s product SlimBiome and OptoiBiotix will receive a 50% share of profits.
A key part of the exclusive UK deal relates to Knighton’s advanced powder technology, which OptiBiotix said is key to developing an improved version of its product which is more easily soluble than the original and presents better.
According to the firm, this will provide a range of new products and application opportunities with partners in the bakery, snacking, food service and beverage categories – and meet growing consumer demand for 'on the go' products.
“We chose Knighton due to their world leading expertise in adding value and differentiation to speciality powdered ingredients like SlimBiome,” said OptiBiotix CEO Stephen O’Hara.
“Their development work greatly improved SlimBiome's solubility, taste and mouthfeel whilst reducing the overall cost of manufacture.”
He added that as such significant progress has been made with in developing new application and product opportunities to extend the use of SlimBiome across a wider range of products opportunities and territories.
OptiBiotix said the new version of its SlimBiome product will be sold as an ingredient in white label format, and also in OptiBiotix's own brand GoFigure range of shakes and bars.
It added that new flavours and additions to the SlimBiome and GoFigure product range will be introduced in early 2018 – including morning muesli pots, healthy bites and coffee and tea blends as part of a healthy lifestyle brand.
“This creates the opportunity for multiple revenue streams from sales of ingredients to food manufacturers, white label products to large retailers, and branded products in multiple presentations to meet the needs of a diverse range of national and international markets,” the company noted in a press release.
New territories and product ranges
OptiBiotix also confirmed that further product development remains ongoing – with a number of international partners to include SlimBiome in territory specific applications including bakery products, breakfast cereals, and food toppings as well as developing country flavour specific options for snacks, yoghurts and cereal bars.
Partners in these developments include Tata – for specially formulated and flavoured products ranges for the Asian markets – and a number of US partners looking to improve the health and nutritional status of existing snacking, bakery and cereal products.
“As the promise of the microbiome materialises into a wider the range of applications and products and we extend into overseas territories the scale of the opportunity enlarges allowing us to fully exploit the revenue generating potential of our products,” said O’Hara.
“We anticipate SlimBiome being the first in a family of products to include: ImmunBiome, WellBiome, OptiBiome and CardioBiome, developed using our advanced microbiome modulating technology platforms, to meet industry and consumer need for scientifically proven products to improve health and wellbeing,” he commented.
