Choline, one of the B vitamins, helps the use of fats in the body and therefore supports weight loss. It is also referred to as the 'memory' vitamin, as it is key to the nervous system and also seems to aid memory.
Two years ago the US Food and Drug Administration authorised a nutrient content claim for choline, allowing foods and supplements with certain amounts of the ingredient to be labelled a' good' source of choline.
Madrid-based Algry manufactures unencapsulated food and pharma grade choline salts, including choline chloride, choline bitartrate and choline citrate.
"We expect the growing trend to remain stable during 2004, as per the new agreements reached with several different major companies worldwide to promote, market and distribute our cholines portfolio, for a long time our core business," said Guillermo Rodriguez, sales manager at Algry Quimica.
The company recently expanded capacity at its choline salts manufacturing facility in Huelva, Spain in order to meet increasing demand for unencapsulated cholines in new and existing applications.
It has also announced several new products and projects in the pipeline for launch during 2004 and 2005.