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Archive for May, 2009
Low cost, high purity fish protein isolate hits global market
Posted On: May 11, 2009Advances with membrane technology means lower price proteins from fish are available to food manufacturers globally, with potential to not only replace whey proteins in some applications, but offer a base protein ingredient.
Last year, GE Water and Process Technologies and Norcape Biotechnology turned their patented membrane filtration and separation technology to the fish protein industry.
Talking exclusively to FoodNavigator.com, Mark Rottmann, Market Director, Process Equipment Programs, said the supply of food grade fish protein isolates is already available.
It was not GE’s intention to position the fish ingredients as an alternative to whey protein isolates, said Rottmann, although the price of the fish-derived ingredients make it a cost-effective option for food manufacturers.
New marine extract from the brown algae for skincare
Posted On: May 11, 2009News out of France — Kalpariane is a new marine extract from the brown algae Alaria Esculenta which has been developed by BiotechMarine to nourish and protect the skin.
The extract has anti-collagenase and anti-elastase activity to preserve skin elasticity and skin suppleness by reducing elastin and collagen degradation. It contains omega-3 and omega-6 oils to reinforce the skins hydro-lipidic barrier. It is recommended for facial and skin firming products, as well as for products developed to prevent stretch marks and wrinkles.
Agreement signed to turn waste into cosmeceutical ingredients
Posted On: May 11, 2009New Zealand-based Industrial Research Ltd (IRL) has struck up a partnership with Fomana Capital to enable the company to develop high-value cosmeceutical and nutraceutical products from waste.
Under the agreement, Fomana Capital, the investment arm of the Federation of Maori Authorities (FOMA), will provide capital and raw materials and Industrial Research will provide the processing expertise.
Using Crown Research Institute’s science and engineering facilities, the companies will begin working with each other to develop fish oil products rich in omega-3.
The partners are planning to install a pilot plant and begin manufacturing lipids enriched with omega-3 fatty acids this year and then move to market before 2010.
Biodiesel from Fish Processing Waste
Posted On: May 11, 2009In October, Finland’s VTT Technical Research Center, the largest applied research organization in Northern Europe, launched ENERFISH, a research project to derive biodiesel from the waste of fish processing plants in Vietnam. The project is scheduled to run through 2011.
ENERFISH assembled a biodiesel manufacturing plant near Hiep Thanh’s processing facility in Can Tho. Hiep Thanh Seafood produces 265,000 pounds of fish waste everyday, most of which was previously sold to feed producers.
ENERFISH also introduced an innovative cooling system using closed circuit CO2, which is 10 to 15 percent more efficient than conventional freezers, according to Dr. Hidde Ronde, a senior research scientist leading ENERFISH.
Biofuel Development Shifting From Soil To Sea, Specifically To Marine Algae
Posted On: May 11, 2009Today, the most fervent attention in biofuel development has shifted from soil to the sea, and specifically to marine algae. Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, along with researchers at UCSD’s Division of Biological Sciences, are part of an emerging algal biofuel consortium that includes academic collaborators, CleanTECH San Diego, regional industry representatives, and public and private partners.
Scripps scientists see algae as a “green bullet,” science and society’s best hope for a clean bioenergy source that will help loosen broad dependence on fossil fuel, counteract climate warming, and power the vehicles of the future.
Herring milt to fight Malnutrition
Posted On: May 11, 2009Food products containing herring milt may in the future contribute to fighting malnutrition.
Up until the 1960s, English coalminers consumed products based on herring milt to stay healthy. Such products were also sold in Norway. However, this raw material from herring is not exploited today. Scientists and industry want to attempt to change this.
A new project, which is being funded by the Norwegian Fishermen’s Sales Organization for Pelagic Fish, is working to develop a powder product based on white corn and herring milt.
“Many people object to eating products based on milt, which is fish sperm, but think it’s fine to eat roe, which is fish eggs,” says Jan Pettersen, Senior Scientist at Nofima Ingredients.
“But the milt is extremely nutritious and can contribute to fighting malnutrition in areas where this is common.”
Herring milt has the ideal composition as an additive to food in developing countries, as it contains high levels of many of the nutrients missing in the food.
Seaweed fabric releases marine amino acids, minerals and vitamins into the skin upon contact with moisture
Posted On: May 11, 2009Lululemon Athletica has been a standout performer on Wall Street since it went public in July, thanks to the popularity of its costly yoga and other workout clothes, which are made with unusual materials, including bamboo, silver, charcoal, coconut and soybeans.
The label on a shirt at Lululemon says it contains seaweed.
One of its lines is called VitaSea, and the company says it is made with seaweed. The fabric, according to product tags, “releases marine amino acids, minerals and vitamins into the skin upon contact with moisture.” Lululemon, which has received positive media coverage for its fabrics, also says the VitaSea clothing, made from seaweed fiber supplied by a company called SeaCell, reduces stress and provides anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hydrating and detoxifying benefits.
There is one problem with its VitaSea claims, however. Some of them may not be true.
The New York Times commissioned a laboratory test of a Lululemon shirt made of VitaSea, and reviewed a similar test performed at another lab, and both came to the same conclusion: there was no significant difference in mineral levels between the VitaSea fabric and cotton T-shirts.
In other words, the labs found no evidence of seaweed in the Lululemon clothing.
Bioprospecting for Improved Methods of Biofuel Production
Posted On: May 11, 2009UMBI has received a $575,000, three-year subcontract awardbfrom the University of California at Berkeley to develop more efficient ways to convert lignocellulose to biofuels such as ethanol and butanol. The subcontract is part of a multifaceted, collaborative research and development effort designed to improve the efficiency of biofuel production. These efforts are led by three Principal Investigators, including Dr. Frank T. Robb of UMBI’s Center of Marine Biotechnology, Dr. Douglas S. Clark and Dr. Harvey W. Blanch of the Chemical Engineering Department at Berkeley.
Lignocellulose contains cellulose and lignin, the two most abundant biopolymers on earth. They are found in municipal paper waste, wood residues from sawmills and paper mills, dedicated energy crops such as woody grasses, and agricultural wastes such as corn stover. Conversion of lignocellulose to environmentally friendly fuels such as ethanol represents a major component of efforts to prevent climate changes such as global warming.
Dr. Robb will lead an innovative research program designed to improve the efficiency of conversion of the cellulosic biomass to biofuels. Making use of microorganisms that thrive at very high temperatures in natural hot springs, the research team will be “bioprospecting” for new enzymes that will allow the conversion to take place at high temperatures.
The research conducted at UMBI is one component of a broader effort taking place at the Energy Biosciences Institute, a partnership between BP, the University of California, Berkeley; the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; and the University of Illinois.
Aquapharm and Dr. Reddy’s Sign Commercial License Agreements
Posted On: May 11, 2009Scottish marine biotechnology company Aquapharm Biodiscovery Limited signed a new commercial license agreement and an extended an existing research and development license agreement with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited. The commercial license covers selected strains from the Aquapharm library of novel marine microorganisms. These strains will be used to generate commercial biocatalysts for specific applications in the manufacture of pharmaceutical intermediates at the Dr. Reddy’s R&D site at Cambridge, UK. Under these agreements, Aquapharm will receive milestone payments as well as royalties on commercialization of the product by Dr. Reddy’s.
Key Discovery Based Company, Bioprospecting NB Inc. Opens New Lab in Sackville, NB
Posted On: May 11, 2009BioProspecting NB Inc. is a drug discovery company that focuses on novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of cancer and chronic pain. The drug candidates are derived from soricidin, a compound isolated from the venom of the shrew, a small mammal native to Eastern Canada. Stewart initially studied shrew venom’s paralyzing effects because other mammals’ paralyzing venom has led to the development of pain-killing drugs. However, further research demonstrated an ability to activate programmed cell death in certain types of cells, an important discovery since tests on human cancer cells show it hits the cells selectively, without attacking healthy cells or causing side effects. To assist the company’s research, the Canadian Government has invested $422,000 through ACOA’s Business Development Program and $135,000 through the National Research Council Canada Industrial Assistance Program.
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