Parry Nutraceuticals has been issued with a European Union import licence for organic Spirulina – the first to be granted to an Indian company in nearly two years.
In October 2022, the European Commission delisted a number of Indian organic certification bodies after detecting traces of the EU-banned pesticide ethylene oxide in a shipment of organic sesame seeds from India. Among the organisations affected by this move was the sole control body in the world authorised to certify organic microalgae from India, putting an indefinite stop to imports of organic Spirulina into the EU from India.
Following the European Commission’s decision, Chennai-based Parry Nutraceuticals – which produces only Spirulina that is certified organic – began the search for a Europe-based body willing to develop the capacity to certify organic Spirulina from India. Having successfully identified a recognised, credible European partner, and after more than a year of hard work behind the scenes, Parry Nutraceuticals is in a position to resume exports to the EU with immediate effect.
Baburaj Lakshmi Kanthan, Parry Nutraceutical’s Head of Business, welcomed the news. “It was a long process – much longer than we’d hoped for – but we are delighted to be back in the EU,” he said. “We thank our customers for their loyalty and patience during this delay and we look forward to working with them again.”
During its absence from the EU in the past two years, Parry Nutraceuticals has invested considerably in research and development and will re-enter the European market with new, improved versions of its organic Spirulina powders and tablets. These are manufactured using the innovative Tuymai filtration process. This preserves Spirulina’s cell structure, in turn enhancing its purity and organoleptic profile, and increasing the levels of phycocyanin in the powder. Phycocyanin is a powerful bioactive associated with health benefits including muscle recovery and immunity.
Rajendran Lingan, Head of Quality Assurance at Parry Nutraceuticals, commented: “We have been very busy during our temporary absence from the EU market, and we are excited to offer the latest version of our superior quality Spirulina to our European customers. We are one of only two Spirulina producers worldwide with two separate Organic Certifications. In addition to EU Organic status, we also now hold certification from the even more stringent Naturland, which is a gold-standard European scheme demonstrating that we are compliant with the most exacting ecological and social sustainability standards. We are also the only microalgae producer with USP verification – and our contaminant levels are three to five times lower than current EU regulatory requirements.”
Parry Nutraceuticals supplies Spirulina in a range of forms, including granules, which are a flexible option for a variety of applications such as food and beverage, food supplements, and cosmetics and personal care. The company is also a leading manufacturer of white-label Spirulina tablets, which are supplied ready for health and wellness companies to package, brand and sell as their own supplements. Parry Nutraceuticals’ sales to the US and Asia were unaffected by the EU’s decision and have continued to perform strongly during its absence from the European market.
Sofia Hoffmann de Mendonça, European Business Development Manager for Parry Nutraceuticals, said: “The absence of our organic Spirulina from the European market has been frustrating not only for the Parry team but also for our customers and distributors. They previously had access to organic Spirulina products with the best quality-price ratio in Europe but found themselves left with no comparable alternative. We are delighted that we can now return to the EU market to serve our current customers – and new ones – and once again deliver the great-quality, unique, and competitively priced Spirulina that we are well known for.”
Parry Nutraceutical’s Spirulina is produced in a natural, rural environment in the south of India, in compliance with the strictest certifications. The company has also invested extensively in research to support health claims specific and exclusive to its own Spirulina, offering an added-value selling proposition in the global market.
GNT gains regulatory approval for spirulina extract
GNT has secured U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the use of spirulina extract in beverages, enabling manufacturers to achieve vibrant blue shades while maintaining clean labels.
GNT, which supplies plant-based EXBERRY® colour concentrates, has developed a patented formulation technology that allows spirulina extract to remain temperature- and acid-stabilised in beverages.
The EXBERRY® Blue Beverage Solution is suitable for use in a wide range of applications including sports, energy, and carbonated drinks, juice drinks, enhanced waters, and alcoholic beverages below 20 % ABV.
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) had previously only permitted the use of spirulina extract as a natural blue colouring ingredient in certain food products and powdered beverages. However, GNT has now successfully petitioned the FDA to amend the regulation to cover all non-alcoholic beverages as well as alcoholic beverages below 20 % ABV. The update came into effect on December 13, 2022.
This means the EXBERRY® Blue Beverage Solution can be used as a clean-label replacement for Blue 1 in the vast majority of drink applications. It delivers a bright turquoise blue shade in acidified beverages with a pH range between 2.6 to 3.4 and can be combined with other EXBERRY® concentrates to deliver hues including navy blue, violet, and green.
Consumer interest in spirulina has increased exponentially over the past decade in step with the FDA’s approval of natural blue colors derived from spirulina extract for products including yogurt, ice cream, and confectionery.
Geneva, Vitafoods Expo 5 – 7 October 2021, booth J291: Allmicroalgae will introduce its portfolio of nutrient-rich, sustainable and vegan-friendly microalgae ingredients
At Vitafoods Expo, Allmicroalgae will showcase its new organic ‘spirulina’ range. Derived from the microalgae Arthrospira platensis, the sun- or spray-dried ingredients are available in paste, powder, nibs and flakes format. They are rich in protein and dietary fibre, and contain all the essential amino acids, as well as antioxidant phycocyanin, iron, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. The combination of valuable plant proteins, iron and vitamin B12 make spirulina-based ingredients a perfect fit for vegan food and supplement concepts, supporting a balanced, plant-based diet. Thanks to their mild flavour, they can easily be incorporated into a wide variety of food and drink products, such as baked goods, pasta, juices, smoothies and fermented beverages. The nibs are a perfect topping for ice cream, yogurt, salad and cheese. Visitors to the booth can learn about the complete range of microalgae-based ingredients, including the organic autotrophic Chlorella vulgaris and the organoleptically improved heterotrophic Smooth, Yellow and White Chlorella vulgaris, all of which combine sustainable processing with a full nutritional load.
According to Allied Market Research, the growing global spirulina market is predicted to reach nearly 900 m USD by 2027, with a CAGR of 10.5 percent (2020-2027).1 Recognising this development, Allmicroalgae has installed a production line for spirulina ingredients and plans to further extend annual production capacity from 4 – 6 tons to 20 tons in 2022, with the addition of two more raceways. Joana Laranjeira Silva, Plant and R&D Manager at Allmicroalgae, says: “Spirulina has a long history, with proven evidence that the Aztecs consumed the microalgae. With its unique nutritional profile and low-resource cultivation, this ancient superfood is an innovative solution to the modern-day challenge of making our diets more sustainable while maintaining a nutritional profile that contains all of the required nutrients.”
At its production site in Leiria, spirulina ingredients are processed combining an artisanal approach with state-of-the-art technology, and can be manufactured according to EU organic standards (PT-BIO-03 EU Agriculture certificate). The company is the first supplier to make the microalgae widely available as a paste. This form is the result of a concentration step that allows the formation of a spirulina cake, which is the final base for the conventional ingredients in the form of powder and nibs. The advantage of the paste format is minimal processing, unique freshness and a natural texture. It offers advantages for the production of refrigerated and frozen food, such as dairy fermented products, juices, ice cream and sauces.
For the production of powders and nibs, the company is investing in gentle solar drying to maintain the valuable nutritional profile, and its bioactive properties. The latter are related to anti-fatigue effects and support type 2 diabetes treatments, anaemia, pulmonary diseases, muscle and skeletal health. In children, an improvement of fine motor skills, concentration and cognition can also be expected.
Increasing demand for microalgae
With the alternative protein market sky-rocketing, Allmicroalgae has been continuously expanding its capacities and is equipped to achieve a potential annual output of around 100 tons of dried biomass. Its production system covers more than 2,000 cubic metres, 1,300 of which house photobioreactors and fermenters. A further 700 cubic metres of covered raceways were recently installed for the production of spirulina.
Having become a European leader in Organic Chlorella vulgaris production, visitors to the Allmicroalgae booth (J291) discover more about their Organic Chlorella range as well as its innovative light-coloured Chlorella ingredients (White, Smooth and Yellow Chlorella vulgaris) with improved organoleptic profile. These ingredients are available as paste and powder. The company also offers capsules and tablets and in this field a real USP: By reverting to organic carriers and excipients, 100 % organic products can come to life when using Organic Chlorella vulgaris.
All the ingredients are classified as food by EFSA and FDA, and are produced in line with Halal, Kosher and GMP requirements. Furthermore, they are free from gluten, lactose, nuts, additives, soy and GMO, perchlorates and pathogenic flora such as Bacillus cereus, and processed without the use of fertilisers, pesticides and irradiation.
1https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/spirulina-market, retrieved 22 September 2021
