The Canadian functional foods market is currently is its very earliest stages, as the novel foods legislation under which it will be regulated is still being worked out. No definite timeline has been established for the legislation to come into effect, but Canadian companies are champing at the bit and are developing what products they are legally allowed to under certain exceptions.
Exceptions include omega-3 fatty acids and fish oils, which are in the process of being transferred to the remit of Health Canada's Natural Health Products Directorate from the Therapeutic Products Directorate, under which it has previously been regulated as a pharmaceutical.
This means that the Dutch firm's Marinol Omega-3 brand is likely to be the first of it's offerings to enter the Candian foods market, with others such as Clarinol CLA and PinnoThin appetite suppressant following once the regulatory route is cleared.
Aat Visser, general manager of Lipid Nutrition, said: "Canadian customers will benefit from the combination of Lipid Nutrition's leading technology and Tempo Canada's services, providing them with one of the best suplpy chain experiences."
Tempo will also represent Lipid Nutrition's ingredients for dietary supplements in Canada, a market for which they are already available. Spokesperson Patrick Luchsinger told NutraIngredients-USA.com: "They have certain windows and we have certain windows. This is a synergistic effort."