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Sustainable, efficient phytochemical extraction technology and ingredients for functional food and supplement development

Country of Origin: Singapore
Reference Number: TOSG20170712004
Publication Date: 12 July 2017

Summary

A Singapore food science technology startup has developed a sustainable & efficient extraction core technology built on trade secrets and cumulated research expertise that supports Column-less extraction method and Zero-waste processing for functional food and supplement development. The startup seeks to partner SMEs of all sizes or MNEs through the following types of cooperation:
- Commercial agreement with technical assistance
- Research cooperation
- Technical cooperation

Description

The Column-less extraction method is a liquid-to-liquid, non-ethanol base methodology that optimise yield of bioactives from botanicals. This technology that allows for a continuous cyclical production of bioactive extracts has been validated at one tonne production scale.  It has demonstrated benefits of higher bioactive purity, shorter production cycle and lower production cost.



Extracted ingredients are Halal-certifiable (the extraction technology does not utilise ethanol as the extraction solvent), and therefore accessible to a higher proportion of the global population.  The technology has already been used in addressing the R&D needs of customers with phytochemical extraction needs.



The Zero-waste processing method uses one process to extract the volatile components of botanicals and/or food waste (e.g. okara, wet distilled grains, coffee spent etc) after the extraction of non-volatile bioactives, reaping benefit of one process, two or more products with minimal or even zero waste generation. This methodology is also able to valorise food waste materials into higher value nutritional products.



The cost efficiency of this technology could also be used to extract bioactives for drug therapeutics which price point & supply is limited by the high extraction cost.

 

This technology addresses two market challenges:

 

1. The current issue of high cost of plant-based functional food and supplements – an issue that is predominately caused by the current standard of extraction, column chromatography - an extraction methodology with complex processes resulting in high energy consumption, need for repeated distillation resulting in low solvent recovery and need for ethanol base organic acid with associated risk of toxicity and flammability.

 

2. The high level of food waste in the food processing industry.



The Singapore startup seeks the following types of partnerships with industry players (SMEs of all sizes or MNEs):



- Commercial agreement with technical assistance

- Research cooperation

- Technical cooperation

Advantages and Innovations

This Column-less liquid to liquid, non ethanol base extraction technology is built on the trade secrets and expertise cumulated over more than a decade of research. 



The expert formulations of additives, coupled with trade secret optimized extraction parameters are the drivers behind this sustainable, high purity, low production cost extraction technology.



Potential applications include:



Food industry :

- To valorize food waste generated by the food processing industry into nutritional ingredients/products which can be marketed at higher level.



- Reducing the high cost of food waste disposal.

 

Food/Supplement/Pharma industry:

- Enable extraction of novel bioactives that cannot be currently extracted at acceptable price point.



- Supply of high quality, mass market cost friendly phytochemical ingredients for functional food/plant base supplements.



- Halal-certifiable functional food/ plant-based supplements open access to the more than 1.7b Muslims around the world.



Advantages/Benefits:

- Higher quality at sustainable cost compared to “State of the Art”

- Higher purity of plant extracts ingredients

- Higher production efficiency

- Higher cost effectiveness

- Larger access to more than 1.7b Muslim population

- Higher quality at sustainable cost compared to “State of the Art” -Higher purity of plant extracts ingredients 

- Higher production efficiency -Higher cost effectiveness 

- Larger access to more than 1.7b Muslim population

Stage Of Development

Already on the market

Stage Of Development Comment

The extraction technology has already been validated at 1 tonne scale extraction of cranberry proanthocyanidin. It has also been used for R&D services. The extraction technology is therefore not only validated at pilot scale but has also received market validation with paid customers.

Requested partner

The Singapore startup seeks to partner SMEs of all sizes or MNEs.



The partner sought could be a technology provider or an industry player from the healthcare, cosmetic, pharmaceutical or food industry who is keen to explore the following types of partnerships.



i) Commercial agreement with technical assistance

The Singapore startup would provide technical assistance in offering the technology to the partner or the partner's clients.



ii) Research cooperation agreement:

The partner can undertake joint R&D with the Singapore startup to further develop it to introduce to new customers or market segments.



iii) Technical cooperation agreement

Both parties can collaborate at a technical level for the partner or partner's clients in using this technology.