Gum and extracts experts establish new venture
Milan-based firms, Indena and the Gum Base Company have teamed up to bring fruit extract-fortified gum to market in a project that combines the company’s “core competencies”.
The offering employs a number of extracts from Indena, the world’s biggest herbal extracts supplier, and a “cold” and “dry” technology that preserves the life and functionality of those extracts.
The extracts in questions are olive extract, bilberry, grape seed, ginseng and Echinacea and will be launched in the gum format at the Supply Side West trade show that begins in Las Vegas tomorrow.
Perfetti Van Melle-owned Gum Base welcomed the partnership, seeing the potential of the product as a “drug delivery system”.
"We're extremely pleased to be working with Gum Base in offering US supplement companies a new delivery form for our extracts,” said Indena marketing director, Christian Artaria.
“A common question we receive from manufacturers as well as consumers is offering our extracts in novel, convenient ways. This partnership addresses this need."
The companies said Compressed Powder Gum (CPG) did not destroy “the active principles added to the gum”, offering a new delivery system together with “the beneficial oral effects of a traditional chewing-gum.”
Gum Base is a major manufacturer of gum bases and compressed powder gums for use in the confectionery, health food and pharmaceutical industries. It was founded in 1967, has 15,000 international employees as well as an office in Shanghai.
Indena also recently had the olive oil extract (called Opextan) validated along with an zanthoxylum extract (Zanthalene) organically certified by Ecocert, an international validation body.
The ingredients are commonly used in cosmeceutical applications.
“Consumers are increasingly looking for active and natural products, free of chemicals and other issues such related to the environment and sustainability,” Artaria said.
Indena has been making botanical extracts for about 80 years, has more than 150 primary patents and has published around 700 scientific studies.
