Embria announces Iowa HQ
its headquarters in Ankeny, Iowa, with a 5.1-acre site that will
include manufacturing facilities for its new EpiCor immunity
ingredient.
EpiCor was unveiled for the first time at SupplyExpo in March, and joins Embria's eXselen selenium ingredient in the human nutrition field.
Until the new facility is operational (anticipated for 2007), most of the production process for EpiCor will be carried out at the premises of Embria's parent company, Diamond V Mills, which has the necessary set-up and capacity since it has been producing a related product for animal nutrition for the past 60 years. It will have to be shipped out at the final, drying stage.
Although it is not expected that these interim arrangements will restrict Embria's ability to meet demand for the ingredient, the potential health benefits mean it may not be long before dedicated capacity is required.
Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Diamond V has been making a propriety yeast culture to increase milk production in cattle. EpiCor, and Embria as the company to take it to market, were born out of suspicious that the culture could have other uses as farmers reported that their animals were not getting sick.
Moreover, in 2004 insurance adjusters noticed that Diamond V employees had far lower sick rates than other workplaces, and the company thought the culture could be boosting the immune systems of workers who handled it.
There followed a seven-digit R&D spend, which delivered safety and efficacy data. EpiCor was seen to have the antioxidant (ORAC) potency three times that of any known fruit; to cause a four-fold increase in the activity of 'natural killer' cells, which guard the immune system; to activate human B cells that help transfer lymphocytes from the blood to the tissues; and to strengthen the human mucosal immune barrier, which protects against invasion.
Embria has been working closely with the Iowa Department of Economic Development and the City of Ankeny throughout the decision-making and planning phases for the new facility.
"We… are confident our commitment to Iowa will enhance and build upon the state's already strong economic pulse," said Embria president Paul Faganel.
The investment in the facility for Embria represents the largest single spend in Diamond V's history.
This, Stuart Reeves, R&D and technical services told NutraIngredients-USA.com in March, is an indication of just how much confidence it has in EpiCor. "You don't make that kind of investment if your science is iffy," he said.
