Valensa Secures Locally Grown Astaxanthin

Valensa International (Eustis, FL) is securing deals with multiple suppliers of astaxanthin. Within the last month, the company acquired rights to collect the red algae from two domestic growers: Texasta Inc. (Gilmer, TX) and Contract Biotics (La Jolla, CA).

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid that imparts red pigment in numerous water-dwelling creatures, such as crabs, lobsters, salmon, and flamingos. The fat-soluble antioxidant appears to protect cells from oxidative damage, and trials on athletes have at times suggested sports performance benefits.

With its latest partnerships, Valensa says it is now the only U.S. supplier of domestically grown and extracted astaxanthin. Such positioning should help the company remain competitive when the astaxanthin market picks up. Valensa CEO and president Rudi Moerck, PhD, says that the last several years of astaxanthin production have been hampered by “uncertainty on the raw materials side and a lack of knowledge of what types of natural stabilizers were required for high-quality extraction.”

Another deal, with Algaeon Inc. (Indianapolis), gives Valensa access to efficient manufacturing and technology processes for algae.