Naturex Will Leverage Cocoa Flavanols EU Health Claim for Heart Health

Cocoa supplier Barry Callebaut Group (Zurich) has handed over a five-year licensing agreement for its heart-health cocoa flavanol extract to botanicals firm Naturex (Avignon, France). Under the agreement, Barry Callebaut will continue producing the unique, flavanol-rich cocoa beans, upon which Naturex will produce the purified cocoa extract and market the ingredient to the heart-health food-supplements sector. As a key part of the agreement, Naturex is licensing the right to utilize a proprietary European Union-approved health claim for this ingredient.

Barry Callebaut’s cocoa flavanols benefit tremendously from a European Commission health claim that the ingredient “helps maintain the elasticity of blood vessels, which contributes to normal blood flow.” In April 2015, the European Commission expanded its approval of Barry Callebaut’s health claim for heart health to apply to consumption via “capsules, tablets, or added to ‘other foods, including beverages.’” The newly expanded EC health claims approval is valid until April 2020 for a 200-mg daily dose. During that time period, Naturex will hold the health-claims license and be able to use the proprietary claim for the “food-supplement solutions” it offers to clients.

Naturex is expected to bring the ingredient to the European market starting in early 2016. “This open innovation partnership with Barry Callebaut is a great opportunity to bring to the food supplement market a pure and natural breakthrough ingredient with a unique 13.5 EFSA claim for the next five years. It will help us strengthen our global leader position in the phytoactives segment, one of the four key categories highlighted in our Bright2020 strategic plan,” said Naturex’s CEO Olivier Rigaud.

Jennifer Grebow
Editor-in-Chief
Nutritional Outlook magazine
jennifer.grebow@ubm.com