An expert panel from AIBMR supported the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status of KoACT as a food ingredient, produced in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMPs).
According to AIDP, the suggested delivery forms for the ingredient are tablets, capsules, soft-gels and functional food applications.
“While calcium products may be effective, they do not maintain total bone health,” said Kathy Lund, director of business development and marketing, AIDP.
“The bone and joint health market are expected to reach over $4 billion by 2013, and we feel KoACT is positioned to take a large portion of that health category.”
A spokesperson for the company told NutraIngredients-USA that several prototype bars including raw bars, granola bars and chocolate based bars have been developed.
"Because KoACT contains collagen there can be flavor retention challenges," they explained. "The two solutions that are relatively easy to initiate and appear to meet most bar manufacturing methods includes: 1) KoACT can be added as is, to a raw bar that has a good flavor masker such as chocolate, vanilla, nut butters or other bases; and 2) when KoACT is heated the collagen will break down and then is easily incorporated into a bar."
Ingredient
KoACT is a patented chelated compound of calcium and hydrolyzed collagen peptides, said the company, and data from animal and one human study support its potential to increase both bone strength and bone mineral density.
The spokesperson said that the clinical data for the human study is currently under review by the publication. "This is the 3-month marker to a year-long human study on KoACT conducted through the University of Florida and will be multi-authored," said the spokesperson.
Data from an animal study performed at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology indicated that the calcium-collagen combination could increase bone strength nearly 10% over a simple mixture of calcium and collagen alone, said the company.
“To grow new bone the body first produces collagen and then calcium attaches to the collagen to mineralize the bone,” explained AIDP. “Collagen provides mechanical strength to structures like bone due to its ability to resist tension. So even if an individual gets an ample amount of calcium they may still have low bone mineral density and weak bone strength.
“To maintain optimum bone health, the loss of both calcium and collagen must be addressed.”