The partnership, announced last week, will see Kentucky-based Wild include the ingredients in its Health Ingredient Technology & Solutions (H.I.T.S.) lineup.
In an email to NutraIngredients-USA, a spokesperson for South Dakota-based Sterling Technology said that Wild will distribute the bioactive milk ingredients as well as formulating food and beverage concepts and products with both products.
Sterling’s ingredient are said to have undergone years of clinical studies and both ingredients have GRAS status.
“We chose to work with Wild Flavors because their success and great reputation in the food and beverage markets,” said the spokesperson. “They bring immediate access to all the food and beverage companies both big and small.
“Wild Flavors allows Sterling Technology to focus on bringing new and innovative products to the market while their sales and R & D staff supports Immunel and Tegricel. The partnership expands the application of Immunel and Tegricel into the food and beverage markets.
“Sterling Technology has been supplying companies into these markets but the partnership expedites the process due to great reputation of Wild Flavors,” he added.
The main markets of focus for the partnership are the US and Europe, said the spokesperson, but “Wild Flavors is a global company so other countries will certainly be brought into play”.
The ingredients
Immunel milk peptide is, as the name suggests, an ingredient reported to support immune health. The ingredient is said to be cost-competitive ingredient and easily incorporated into a range of food and beverage applications, without impacting taste, color and texture.
According to Sterling, the ingredient has been shown to rapidly increase phagocytosis, increase the number and vigor of immune cells that respond to microbial (bacterial) invaders, activate natural killer cells and more.
Tegricel is derived from premium milk peptides and bioactives, and is said to offer defense against Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD). Tegricel is also reported to repair damaged tissue from the use of NSAID's and other conditions that cause intestinal damage.
Wild welcome
“A company the caliber of Sterling, with its quality products and research, will enable Wild to continue offering the most cutting-edge ingredients and solutions,” said Erik Donhowe, Wild's chief operating officer. “This partnership will further help our company in developing innovative food and beverage products for our customers.”