AstaReal launches direct to consumer supplements to expand astaxanthin market, applications

12-Nov-2015 - Last updated on 12-Nov-2015 at 15:17 GMT

AstaReal Group has expanded the capacity of its Moses Lake facility to meet rising demand for natural astaxanthin. Despite the booming demand, this is calculated from a small base, and the company believes more needs to be done to boost market uptake.

AstaReal Group has launched two direct to consumer astaxanthin supplements under its Astavita brand name. The supplements feature raw material from the company’s newly expanded Moses Lake, WA production facility.

AstaReal, a division of Japanese pharmaceutical giant Fuji Chemical Industries Co, grows its Haematococcus pluvialis algae in the US and in Sweden. All of the material in the AstaVita line is produced, extracted and encapsulated in the US, said Dan Henry, Astavita general manager.

Indoor cultivation

“AstaReal Group's unique cultivation system is an indoor, well-controlled bio-reactor cultivation, which enables us to safely produce chlorophyll-free, high quality natural astaxanthin with much better stability. Compared to tubular systems, our levels of quality and stable supply are higher,” Henry told NutraIngredients-USA.

The two new supplements are Astavita Sports Endurance & Recovery and Astavita Healthy Living Antioxidants. They are available direct to consumers through the company’s website. They are being marketed to enhance muscle endurance and recovery, promote healthy cardiovascular and immune systems, resilient skin and hearty vision.

Expanding markets, applications

One question that suppliers of raw material face when they launch consumer brands is why they are potentially competing with their own customers. Henry said Astareal’s goal is to help build the overall market awareness of astaxanthin, which, despite the hubbub over the ingredient on the Dr Oz Show and in other venues, still seems to be lacking among mainstream consumers.

“The first goal is expanding awareness among US consumers of natural astaxanthin and thus expanding the natural astaxanthin market by ourselves in the US. Considering the real potential of natural astaxanthin for prevention of lifestyle diseases, healthy aging and healthy exercise in our daily lives, we believe that there should be more demand,” Henry said.

“We realize this untapped demand for natural astaxanthin. We’re prepared to lead the expansion of the astaxanthin market in the US, which will be good for our bulk customers in terms of increased demand, and also provide consumers with superior quality products,” he said.

Henry said a secondary goal to push the use of astaxanthin into what he called a new product category of preventive health care. Existing new drugs in the lifestyle/geriatric care fields have shown only limited efficacy, he said.

“We understand that it is not easy to realize or find the gold standard of prevention in this new era of health care. On the other hand, we are convinced that natural astaxanthin products can be key to achieving such breakthroughs. Along these lines, we plan to announce some exciting new products in early 2016,” Henry said.

The Astavita Sports dietary supplement is meant to help athletes to increase their endurance threshold and accelerate the recovery process during and after participation. Henry said the formula works in three steps to improve aerobic efficiency, muscle energy and extend performance marks. The sports product also re-energizes mitochondria, playing a central role in building healthy and powerful muscles.

Astavita Healthy Living Antioxidants are designed to re-energize cells and support healthy aging, and has a message of supporting cellular health. The product includes tocotrienols from palm oil.

Henry said the company has plans to support the products through expanded research. Studies using the company’s astaxanthin are underway and results will be available in the near future, he said.