News from EnCoate™
VC funds bring probiotics closer to market
Friday, 13 July 2007
However EnCoate has developed a technology that can stabilise these microbes so they can be used to enhance foods such as breakfast cereals, infant milk-powders and dog-biscuits.
Bridgit Hawkins, Acting EnCoate CEO, says this opens a potentially huge global market for probiotic ingredients.
“Probiotics have been recognised for many years as giving significant health benefits. Until now consumers have been strictly limited to a small range of products offering the benefits of probiotics.”
The technology was developed by a team of scientists at AgResearch’s Lincoln campus near Christchurch and led by Dr Trevor Jackson of the Crown Research Institute’s Biocontrol, Biosecurity & Bioprocessing Section.
Bridgit Hawkins says the start-up phase of the business involved developing the science, looking at proof of concept, looking for business opportunities and engaging with end users to ensure the technology was appropriate.
“This involved developing what is known as a biopolymer coating that had first been used in the production of biological control agents in agriculture. The first commercial product to use this technology was for the control of grass grub. It has been commercially available in the marketplace for some years.
“With the new probiotics opportunity, the business is now positioned ahead of its competition and is an attractive investment proposition,” says Bridgit Hawkins.
“What’s more, EnCoate has potential beyond extending the shelf life of probiotics, with the core technology behind EnCoate being the biopolymer, which has applications including in agricultural biology, food and seed coatings, and vaccines.”
13 June, 2007
Bridgit Hawkins, Acting EnCoate CEO, says this opens a potentially huge global market for probiotic ingredients.
“Probiotics have been recognised for many years as giving significant health benefits. Until now consumers have been strictly limited to a small range of products offering the benefits of probiotics.”
The technology was developed by a team of scientists at AgResearch’s Lincoln campus near Christchurch and led by Dr Trevor Jackson of the Crown Research Institute’s Biocontrol, Biosecurity & Bioprocessing Section.
Bridgit Hawkins says the start-up phase of the business involved developing the science, looking at proof of concept, looking for business opportunities and engaging with end users to ensure the technology was appropriate.
“This involved developing what is known as a biopolymer coating that had first been used in the production of biological control agents in agriculture. The first commercial product to use this technology was for the control of grass grub. It has been commercially available in the marketplace for some years.
“With the new probiotics opportunity, the business is now positioned ahead of its competition and is an attractive investment proposition,” says Bridgit Hawkins.
“What’s more, EnCoate has potential beyond extending the shelf life of probiotics, with the core technology behind EnCoate being the biopolymer, which has applications including in agricultural biology, food and seed coatings, and vaccines.”
13 June, 2007
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