Martek Biosciences Corporation has announced plans to restructure
its plant operations, including the layoff of 15 percent of its
workforce, following a review of the company's current production
and cost structure.
Martek Biosciences has entered into a 15-year supply agreement,
that includes co-branding priviledges, with WhiteWave Foods for the
development of soy beverages containing Martek's flagship omega-3
ingredient, life'sDHA.
Martek Biosciences is pressing ahead with its plan to grow sales of
its microalgae-derived DHA in European infant formula and
mainstream foods now that supply issues have been resolved, despite
pending patent litigation with competitors.
Martek Biosciences' operating profit leaped back into the black in
Q3, as it continues to reap rewards from the fortified infant
formula boom and more cost-effective DHA production.
Martek Bioscience's flagship vegetarian source of DHA has become
the brand life'sDHA, joining a trend in the omega-3 industry to
target and promote consumer awareness of the healthy ingredient.
Australian health ingredients business Clover said sales of its
omega-3 oil and powders increased 21 per cent during the year on
higher demand from the supplement and infant nutrition sectors.
Martek Biosciences has forged a relationship with another major
food group, Hain Celestial, in a bid to see its microalgae-derived
omega-3 used in a broader range of infant formulas and other food
and beverage products.
EuroPharma's recently launched fish oil extract Vectomega could led
to improvements in cholesterol levels, according to a pilot
clinical trial, with more trials planned to build up the science
behind the product.
Puleva Biotech has signed an agreement with US-based The Wright
Group for its Eupoly fish oils to be used in a new line of
microencapsulated powders, becoming the latest supplier to shore up
its presence in an ever more crowded market.
The race is on to see which of two leading cereal makers will be
the first to place an omega-3 fortified product on shelves,
following a new license and supply agreement between Martek and
General Mills that is substantially similar...
Increased international sales from a thriving infant formula market
drove up Martek's net income by almost 85 percent in Q2, and new
deals point to positive results for the remainder of the year.
With its new supply agreement with Mead Johnson Nutritionals,
Martek Biosciences solidifies its position in the world market for
DHA and ARA, as alternative omega-3 sources are approved for infant
formula use.
A Maryland court has ruled in favor of Martek Biosciences in a
motion of summary judgment of an outstanding dispute with the
former interest holders of OmegaTech, the DHA producer it acquired
in March 2002.
The European inventors of a process for deriving higher yields of
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) from microalgae have licensed the patent
to Advanced BioNutrition - a deal that could ultimately impact the
human nutrition market for DHA.
Martek Biosciences is seeking to open up uses of its algae derived
DHA, with a new microencapsulated powder for use in foods and
drinks that require dry mixing.
A new Swiss company is claiming to have found a way to derive
omega-3 containing both EPA and DHA from algae, which could place
suppliers whose product is derived from fish oil under price
pressure.
Martek Biosciences continued its recovery from the impact of
stockpiling in first quarter 2006 with a better-than-expected set
of results thanks to its infant formula clients rolling out
products on a global basis.
PBM Products has launched what it claims to be the first organic
baby formula containing the omega-3 fatty acid DHA and the omega-6
fatty acid ARA for nationwide distribution in the US.
The benefits of omega-3, protein, and essential vitamins and
minerals from oily fish outweigh the risks of pollutants, say
American experts, as British scientists find pollutant levels are
falling.
Norway's Denomaga is seeking to gain a large slice of the UK
omega-3 market and has signed an agreement with S Black for the
distribution of its oils to the food, beverage, health care and
nutraceuticals sectors.
Omega-3 may be a hot topic on everyone's lips, but the industry
still needs to overcome negative perceptions about traditional
sources such as oily fish, according to research analysis by Frost
and Sullivan.
Australian omega-3 producer Clover Corporation is testing whether
microalgae could offer an alternative source of health fatty acids
to its current raw material supply, fish.
Martek Biosciences has refined its manufacturing process to produce
microalgae-derived DHA at 20 percent less cost and expects this to
have a knock-on effect on the cost of consumer products containing
omega-3.
Canada's first milk product containing Ocean Nutrition's MEG-3 is
launching in Nova Scotia, amid hopes that it will boost the
consumer's omega-3 intake to recommended levels.
Martek Biosciences has released its third quarter financial
results, with a steep 17 percent drop in sales. But although
operating income also took a dive, the poor quarter is not a sign
of waning interest in nutritional oils. Rather,...
Nutritional oils maker Martek Biosciences has held off another
challenge to the intellectual property on its key product, the
omega-3 fatty acid DHA, although it is still locked up in further
court cases to protect patent rights.
Israeli firm Fischer Pharmaceuticals has launched a new product for
seniors based on a proprietary blend of the brain health
ingredients phosphatidylserine and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA,
reports Dominique Patton.
US chemicals group Celanese said yesterday that it is reviewing
strategic options for the omega-3 business of Nutrinova that could
include selling it off, reports Dominique Patton.
The stockpiles of Martek products being held by the firm's
customers caused a slowdown in revenue growth for the second
quarter but it claims that extra capacity coming on stream this
year will see a new surge in demand, reports...
Shareholders who have become aware of an omega-6 mountain in the
stockrooms of Martek customers have filed a lawsuit seeking class
action status against the company, alleging that it flooded
customers with inventory in order to meet...
Ocean Nutrition Canada (ONC) has signed its first co-branding
license agreements that will see its MEG-3 brand fish oil
ingredients appear on supplement and food product labeling, and may
crystallize formulators' choice between...
Martek Biosciences continued to bend a steep growth curve in 1Q
2005, racking up operating profit of $11.1 million - a 363 percent
increase on the prior year period. But instead of resting on its
laurels and watching the cash roll...
Martek Biosciences has signed a non-exclusive license agreement
with Kellogg, under which it will supply the consumer foods giant
with the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) for use in a
new line of fortified foods.
Martek Biosciences has been preparing for future expansion of its
nutritional oil production facilities by raising $81.4 million in
its common stock sell-off.
German ingredients firm Nutrinova is expanding its presence in the
omega-3 market with new projects underway with Chinese supplement
makers and producers of infant nutrition products.
Martek Biosciences last week announced its year-end results, noting
increased revenues and "robust growth" due primarily to higher
sales of nutritional products to the company's infant formula
licensees.
US-based Martek Biosciences said on Friday that its European
DHA/ARA oil blends patent had been revoked by the European Patent
Office following challenges made by two potential competitors.
Growing demand for omega-3 fatty acids significantly boosted
profits at Australian health ingredients firm Clover Corporation
last year but lower-than-expected sales in Europe and restricted
supply of ARA oil for its fortified infant...
GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare has launched an omega-3
fortified variant of its leading malt drink brand Horlicks on the
Indian market, especially designed for pregnant and breast-feeding
mothers.
Fatty acids producer Martek Biosciences continued its recent
profit-making run during the second quarter, which should help its
plans to expand further into new markets and new applications,
writes Philippa Nuttall.
Maryland-based Martek Biosciences is facing further tightening of
ARA supply, after a fire shut down production of the fatty acid by
key supplier DSM last weekend.
Children whose mothers were given a does of docosahexaenoic acid
(DHA) for the first four months of breastfeeding were found to
perform better in attention tests than those whose mothers were
not, according to research sponsored by...
Omega-3 fatty acids have been associated with numerous health
benefits, from brain development and preventing memory loss to
suppressing tumours and cutting heart disease. But according to new
findings in the US, one particular fatty...
DSM Food Specialties is to double the volume of arachidonic acid
(ARA) produced for its US partner Martek Biosciences to meet
rapidly growing demand, the Dutch firm said this week, writes
Dominique Patton.
License agreements with leading infant formula makers helped Martek
Biosciences maintain a strong revenue stream in this year's first
quarter but although it has continued last year's profit-making run
through to 2004, margins...
Martek Biosciences said yesterday that the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has completed a favorable review of its safety
data on the former Omega Tech DHA product, currently being marketed
by the company for use in food applications.
