The company, which largely concentrates its nutraceutical business in Malaysia, is well-known for its fish oil brand Pristin.
Last year, the dietary supplement portfolio generated about 70 per cent of the company’s entire portfolio. The firm has also made waves with its low-GI bread and low-GI noodles range.
In an interview with NutraIngredients-Asia, CEO Dr Rajen Manicka underlined the key goals and plans that the company has for this year.
“The biggest focus of the company is to reduce the consumption of sugar, which is to help consumers move to a lifestyle where they have less sugar or no sugar consumption.
“The obesity pandemic is driven by the high consumption of Western foods, which white bread is a big part of.”
The company will be launching a low GI white bread in New York and also plans to launch it in Australia. At the same time, it is in talks with companies from Malaysia, Singapore, and China for the launch.
Revenue from the company’s dietary supplements will be used to fund the company’s R&D in low-GI foods and other innovative products.
For its dietary supplement portfolio, the company will be launching new products targeted at improving immunity.
Dr Rajen revealed that the company would be launching an omega-3 gummy for kids under the Pristin brand by the end of this quarter.
“In the next two to three months, we will launch omega-3 gummies to reinforce our market leadership [in the omega-3 category] with Pristin.
“Our gummies will be made sugar-free while containing eight phospholipids which are important for child growth, as well as enhancing the absorption of omega-3,” he said.
About five months ago, the company also launched Forti-5, a supplement containing three essential amino acids, selenium, prebiotics, and vitamin C.
The essential amino acids, namely L-glutamine, glycine, and L-cysteine, are said to boost the production of glutathione – an antioxidant.
Water-soluble vitamin D
With new research showing the importance of vitamin D against COVID-19 mortality, the company will be launching a water-soluble vitamin D drop.
Existing research shows that vitamin D deficiency, obesity, and diabetes are linked to higher rates of COVID-19 infection and mortality. As such, some researchers have recommended to prioritise treating vitamin D deficiency in COVID-19 patients.
Dr Rajen said the fat-soluble vitamin D has been made water-soluble by using a platform technology which the company had filed a patent for in 2019.
The technology can also make other fat-soluble substances, such as turmeric and cannabidiol (CBD) water-soluble.
“Our product is water-soluble, it is up to 80 times better absorbed by the body and we will work with a university in the US to validate this data.
“We want to launch [the water-soluble vitamin D] online under a different brand in Malaysia and internationally," he said, adding that the product would be out early next quarter.
The water-soluble vitamin D can be consumed directly using a dropper or added into beverages.
“You will only need 10 drops to meet your daily requirement, you can consume it directly, put it in a glass of water or orange juice.”
Immune demand
The company noticed that there is still a high demand for immune health products as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread despite reinfection.
“Everybody is on heightened alert when it comes to their immune health. Immune related products are still hot in demand.
“The consumers have let their guard down a little bit, they are probably a bit more relaxed than they were six months ago, but still very alert,” Dr Rajen said, adding that there has been cases of infection or reinfection despite receiving vaccinations.
Nasal balm
In the next few months, the company is also going to launch a novel nasal balm using a patented ingredient known as NatShield.
NatShield is made from plant-based substances and has been approved for use by the USFDA. It is originally used in hand sanitisers.
“We will also be launching a Natshield nasal balm, which is what we see as another layer of protection below your mask to protect your nose.
“This is because your nose is the vulnerable part in terms of the virus attacking you, it is dark, it is damp, it is warm, its full of nasal secretions which the virus loves as food, and it is always open. The nasal balm kills off viruses within the nose,” Dr Rajen said.
The product can be applied into the nostril using a q-tip.