9 February 2005 - Degussa Food Ingredients was appointed by Ferco Nutraceutique as the exclusive distributor for its GRAP`ACTIVE product line in North America and Asia. Degussa will market, under the trade name GRAP`ACTIVE, various types of grape seed and grape skin extracts into the functional food and health supplement market. Ferco Nutraceutique is specialized in the extraction of polyphenol and proanthocyanidine rich fractions of high quality grapes from French vineyards.
GRAP`ACTIVE extracts are specifically designed for food applications and manufactured by a patented process based on water without the use of any organic solvent. Ferco’s gentle extraction process preserves the active substances in grapes and provides a tasteless, highly wettable and completely water-soluble extract which makes GRAP´ACTIVE the preferred choice to add antioxidative proanthocyanidines to beverages, dairy products and various water based food matrices.
"Degussa Food Ingredients sees GRAP´ACTIVE as a perfect addition to its portfolio of bioactive ingredients like the antioxidant ALIPURE™, the branded alpha-Lipoic acid which is manufactured by a water based and organic solvent free process" says Dr. Karl-Heinz Zirzow, Marketing Director Health & Nutrition of Degussa Food Ingredients. "We are excited to combine the unique properties of the natural antioxidant GRAP`ACTIVE with Degussa´s in-house expertise in food applications for yoghurts, ice cream, beverages or fruit jellies" he adds.
Marc Féries, Ferco Developpement Chairman & CEO, is enthusiastic about what he considers as "a strategic partnership for both our companies, Degussa being the natural and best qualified partner to increase our market share in North America on this type of products".
Considering the current consumer trend towards lifestyle drinks with added health properties, natural antioxidants are expected to see a rapid growth especially in the beverage industry. Numerous studies show that polyphenols are very effective in fighting oxidative stress and protecting against cardiovascular problems by avoiding the formation of blood clots or the oxidation of low-density blood lipoproteins.
GRAP`ACTIVE with a content of up to 95 % polyphenols, 85 % proanthocyanidines and 22 % OPC´s is adding back to food the health benefits of natural antioxidants which are not consumed at the recommended dose level in our diets. This can be due to poor eating habits which often means low consumption of fresh fruit or vegetables.
GRAP`ACTIVE is available from red or white grapes as a red or colourless, GRAS-approved, upon request kosher certified, and non-GMO food ingredient.
Degussa Food Ingredients with its two Business Lines Flavors & Fruit Systems and Texturant Systems is one of the leading food and nutrition ingredients suppliers worldwide. It provides all major segments of the food, beverages and pharmaceutical industry with specialized individual ingredients and custom-developed solutions for making and keeping food fresh, tasty, healthy and safe. Degussa Food Ingredients is a Business Unit of Degussa, a multinational corporation consistently aligned to highly profitable specialty chemistry. In fiscal 2003, its 47,000 employees generated sales of 11.4 billion euros and operating profits (EBIT) of 878 million euros, making it Germany's third-largest chemical company and the global market leader in specialty chemicals. Innovative products and system solutions enable Degussa to play a valuable and indispensable role in the success of its customers, as summed up by our claim "creating essentials".
Ferco Nutraceutique is the Functional Ingredients Division of Ferco Developpement, a company specialised in extraction and purification of grape compounds. It is the only french firm specialized in the exclusive production of grape polyphenols.
The company is surrounded with highly focused people on each activity: oenologists, engineers in agronomy, etc. in order to offer products perfectly fitted with each application. Using an exclusive process that enables FERCO Developpement to isolate each grape constituent preserving all its natural properties in its research laboratory. FERCO Developpement studies and analyses the grape in order to adapt and apply these extractions in its high technology production plant.