Fytexia launches water-soluble ingredient versions to target US beverages
In an interview with NutraIngredients-USA.com, Constantin Dallas, Fytexia’s founder and president, said that the patented blend of citrus polyphenols contains no synephrine, a compound previously claimed to have adverse effects such as increased heart rate, blood pressure, and the risk of cardiac complications.
The availability of the new ingredient comes hot on the heels of the inauguration of the company's new state-of-the-art facilities located in the heart of the South of France’s wine country, close to the town of Beziers. The new facilities have been accredited ISO 22000 and GMP.
With production up and running, and quality controls in place, Fytexia is now aiming to extend its presence in the US dietary supplements and functional beverage markets, said Dr Dallas.
A juicy market
The US functional beverages market is predicted to grow 19 percent in current prices and 7 percent in inflation-adjusted prices between 2009 and 2014, according to market researcher Mintel. The market includes energy drinks and fortified waters and is valued at $8.6bn by Mintel.
Dr Dallas said that the company’s Sinetrol-XPur (for food supplements) and new water-soluble version Sinetrol-Xpur WS (for beverages) are both standardised to contain zero synephrine.
Achieving self-affirmed GRAS (generally recognised as safe) is the priority for the next three to six months, said Dr Dallas. The company is also aiming to submit a dossier for a health claim in Europe, he added.
The ingredient is aimed at the weight management market, and its efficacy has been tested in two clinical trials, said Dr Dallas. The first was published in 2008 in Phytomedicine (Vol. 15, pp. 783-792) and results of a second larger study are being prepared for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, expected to be in print by the end of 2010. The most recent trial involved 113 people (98 overweight and 15 obese) and lasted for 3 months, with fat mass loss up to 10 percent reported following supplementation with the citrus extract ingredient.
Anti-aging
The company’s other flagship ingredient Oxxynea (a patented blend of 22 fruits and vegetables) is positioned in the anti-aging segment, and products targeting ‘beauty from within’.
Dr Dallas admits that recent disappointing performance of 'beauty from within' food in Europe, most notably Essensis by Danone (Dannon), suggest there is “not the culture for nutricosmetics in Europe”. The company’s second best-selling product to which Fytexia’s ingredients is used is a beauty yoghurt in Korea, he said.
According to the Kline Group, the global market for nutricosmetics was valued at $1.5bn in 2007, and is expected to grow to $2.5bn by 2012. Europe and Japan currently lead the market, accounting for 55 and 41 percent of sales respectively. In contrast, the US holds only 3 percent of the market.
The company's ingredients are distributed in the US by Atlanta-based AHD International.
