DSM puts veggie chondroitin work on ice: It’s too expensive

By Elaine Watson

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Docosahexaenoic acid

Chondroitin is typically combined with glucosamine in joint health supplements
Chondroitin is typically combined with glucosamine in joint health supplements
DSM has put work on a vegetarian source of chondroitin on ice after determining that the final product would probably be prohibitively expensive.

Martek, which DSM acquired in February 2011, had been working with Japanese firm Seikagaku to develop a vegetarian alternative​ to animal cartilage-derived chondroitin by using microbial fermentation technology.

Martek, which pioneered the development of vegetarian DHA by growing microalgae in large fermentation vessels, had been planning to use a similar technique to produce chondroitin from bacteria.

The plan was to target vegetarians, vegans, people with allergies and eco-friendly consumers, said Martek, which was considering Amerifit - the branded supplements business it acquired in 2010 – as a possible route to market.

It was going to be too expensive

However, the work had “fallen by the wayside”​ following Martek’s acquisition by DSM early last year, marketing director Sarah Sullivan told NutraIngredients-USA at Expo West earlier this month.

 “We were working on it up until the DSM acquisition but as Martek became part of the DSM Nutrition Lipids division, chondroitin didn’t fit in particularly well with the rest of the portfolio.”

But the main barrier was price, she said: “The main problem was that it was going to be too expensive.

“We did some research to find out whether the consumer would pay more for vegetarian chondroitin and found that most people were not even aware chondroitin came from shark cartilage or similar animal sources, so the amount of money we would have had to spend on educating the market about the benefits would have been substantial.

“Could we revisit it in future? Maybe.”

Fishless fish oil: Supplements are just the beginning…

However, another recent initiative – Martek/DSM’s new algal EPA/DHA blend dubbed the ‘fishless fish oil’ – was going from strength to strength and is likely to debut in its first food launch this year, said Sullivan.

The EPA/DHA blend, which offers food and drink manufacturers and supplement makers a vegetarian alternative to fish oil with heart, brain and eye benefits, has been gaining momentum with recent launches including Schiff’s MegaRed Plant-Omega supplements and Darigold Omega-3 2% milk.

“Supplements are just the start​,” said Sullivan.

“We’ve only started scratching the surface on this and I think long term the real potential is in food and beverage for this product, but the lead times are a lot longer. Our food and beverage customers want to make a cardiovascular claim and this allows them to do that.

“We’re talking to some very big food companies about this now and hopefully this year the first food products using it will come out.”

DSM Nutritional Lipids is based in Columbia, Maryland, and headed up by former Martek chief operating officer Peter Nitze.

Related topics Suppliers Bone & joint health

Related news

Show more

Related products

show more

Stay one step ahead in the collagen market

Stay one step ahead in the collagen market

Content provided by Bioiberica | 26-Feb-2024 | White Paper

It's no secret that interest in collagen is at an all-time high – especially for joint health. This presents a real opportunity for manufacturers...

Krill oil supports six key areas of healthy aging

Krill oil supports six key areas of healthy aging

Content provided by Aker BioMarine | 14-Feb-2024 | White Paper

The global population is getting older—according to WHO by 2050 the world’s population over 60 years will double and the population above 80 years will...

Healthy Aging Benefits - The Science Behind SR CarnoSyn®

Healthy Aging Benefits - The Science Behind SR CarnoSyn®

Content provided by Natural Alternatives International | 17-Oct-2023 | Business Advice

After years of rigorous clinical testing, one of the most science-backed supplements is available for private labeling from Natural Alternatives International....

Related suppliers

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars