Biotec adopts branded ingredient strategy

Agrigenic is the latest company to pursue growth through co-branding with third party supplement makers, naming its proprietary blend of antioxidant agonists IsoSproutPlex.

The complex consists of probiotic sprouts, and is the underlying technology behind Agrigenic's own supplement product lines, which are sold under the Biotec Foods, Biomed Foods and Biovet International brands. Its purpose is to spur the body's own production of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GP).

Company president Robert Kavanagh said that the ingredient has previously been made available to third party formulators, but never before as a trademarked brand.

"We recognise the growth and success of branded ingredients in the dietary supplement business," he said, adding that a brand awareness campaign will be launched in January.

Amongst the companies that have already taken the leap into branded ingredients are Cargill with its Corowise plant sterols, Ocean Nutrition Canada with its Meg-3 omega-3, and Martek Biosciences with the recently announced life'sDHA.

The aim is to have the ingredient brand featured on the product packaging alongside the consumer brand where its lends additional credibility -similar to the role of the 'Intel Inside' logo on computer hardware.

Kavanagh attributes the success and longevity of its lines to the IsoSproutPlex technology; the Biotec supplements have been sold at retail outlets since 1983, whereas Biomed products are available only through health care professionals.