Stratum, formed in November, 2009, will take on the distribution duties for KitoZyme, as well as working in research to develop the ingredient.
KitoZyme marketing and sales manager, Florence Keller, said although Stratum was a new company, Novus was not, and its growing interest in human nutrition made it an ideal partner to take the ingredient forward.
“There are many complementary competencies between our two companies,” Keller said. “They can help us develop the ingredient in areas like functional foods and building the science as they have a lot of clinical trials experience.”
Stratum and KitoZyme would also work together on regulatory matters such as gaining GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status in the US so the ingredient can be used in the food supply as well as new dietary ingredient (NDI) status for dietary supplements.
Currently KitoZyme has NDI approval for another of its ingredients, chitosan, which is not part of the deal with Stratum.
Stratum signed a similar deal last year with ESM Technologies for the start-up’s eggshell membrane technology, and it is a clear mandate of the company to work with innovative ingredients that come from somewhere slightly left of center.
The company has a focus on immune, bone and joint health, weight management and aging.
"Through this partnership, we will utilize our R&D, branding, marketing and sales expertise to expand its use in a variety of finished goods to support heart and overall health,” said Jeremy Moore, director of marketing at Stratum Nutrition.
“Not only is heart health a key area of focus for us at Stratum, but this ingredient is obtained exclusively from renewable, non-GMO sources, which aligns with our corporate commitment to social responsibility and sustainable business practices. KitoZyme's chitan-glucan ingredient satisfies all of our criteria. KitoZyme's commitment to sustainable practices coupled with their quality-centric manufacturing processes, which are ISO-9001:2008, GMP and HACCP certified, made them an ideal partner."
KitoZyme CEO, Hugues Bultot, added: "Building on the global reach of Novus and leveraging its tremendous means, we believe, Stratum can immediately begin identifying and securing opportunities for chitin-glucan to be used in a wide range of health products around the world."
Chitosan
KitoZyme also supplies chitosan, which it launched in 2008. Most chitosan is sourced from shellfish and is typically marketed in the weight management area.
The ingredient has achieved European Union Novel Foods approval as it has been deemed substantially equivalent to animal versions already approved across the 27-member state EU bloc. But chitin-glucan
Some clinical trials indicate it binds fat more efficiently than animal-derived versions. One study had demonstrated vegetable chitosan could bind 800 times its own weight in fat – substantially more than animal-based versions.