Bergstrom expands bone and joint health portfolio

06-Nov-2008 - Last updated on 06-Nov-2008 at 15:59 GMT

Bergstrom Nutrition is diversifying its product range with the addition of new joint and bone health ingredients for supplements that could also be considered for use in food and beverages.

Bergstrom, which is based in Vancouver, Washington, has concentrated on producing proprietary and patented forms of the joint health ingredient MSM, or methylsulfonylmethane, with OptiMSM as its flagship brand.

Now it has launched three new products; Celacor, which is said to significantly reduce joint discomfort; SunActive Iron combined with OptiMSM, which can help restore iron levels; and the vitamin K2-7 ingredient MenaquinGold for bone integrity and cardiovascular health.

Eric Brown, sales director, Bergstrom Nutrition, told NutraIngredients-USA.com: “The joint health category is strong, and the industry offers a large number of competing ingredients and finished products.

“We have seen continued growth of our OptiMSM because our customers are category leaders who are innovative.

“We believe that our diversification strategy of proprietary blends, and varied platforms, will further our customers continued growth.”

When asked if the new products are being considered for use in food and beverages, Brown said: “We feel MenaquinGold (in combination), Celacor, and SunActive Iron plus MSM all have possibilities for non-traditional supplement delivery systems.”

Benefits

Celacor is a proprietary standardized extract of celery seed, credited with containing 25 anti-inflammatory compounds and diuretic properties that flush out uric acid crystal deposits. It is manufactured in a GMP-certified facility through a proprietary process.

The patented ingredient SunActive Iron with OptiMSM is said to help address athletic recovery and iron-dependent physical and cognitive performance.

SunActive Iron is micro-encapsulated, allowing it to disperse in liquid formulations without precipitation, an iron flavor or changes in color, according to Bergstrom. It is also stable against heat, salt, pH and oxidation, making it most suitable for liquid or beverage formats.

MenaquinGold is said to be highly stable, bioavailable and an all natural vitamin K2-7 which can fight calcification of the blood vessels, and lower concentration of inflammatory markers.

They are all aimed at products for consumers “interested in healthy and active lifestyles” and intended as stand alone ingredients.

However, Bergstrom said it was looking at matching them with other ingredients to create a proprietary blend, an example of which is OptiMSM and K vitamins.

SunActive Iron has GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe), while Celacor is classified as an ODI (Old Dietary Ingredient).