USA- Global food processing and commodities trading corporation Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) is partnering with California-based biotechnology startup, Brightseed, to develop functional synbiotic products.
This partnership will utilize Brightseed’s artificial intelligence platform, Forager, to examine the chemical interactions between dietary plants and gut microbiomes and how those interactions impact human health.
Forager can identify bioactive compounds in plants and provide insights about cellular changes, and the partners seek to uncover bioactive that are created exclusively through interactions with gut microbes, such as salicylic acid.
“We know from our recent research into global consumer trends that macro forces, including the lingering pandemic, have coincided with an increased demand for natural and plant-based solutions that target immune function, metabolic health, and mental well-being,” said Mark Lotsch, president of global health and wellness at ADM.
The increasing global focus on health and sustainability inspires companies like ADM to go beyond what they are traditionally known for to ensure they have healthy ingredients and offerings that incorporate easily into daily dietary solutions.
“We are thrilled to partner with Brightseed to lead in state-of-the-art discovery on the microbiome and to bring forward science-backed solutions that empower consumers toward proactive and individualized health,” Lotsch added.
The companies expect to launch their synbiotics as functional ingredients in foods, beverages, dietary supplements, and medical foods by 2025.
Brightseed’s collaboration with ADM marks its second partnership in two years. The company partnered with Danone to investigate bioactive in raw plants in 2021.
The partnership is also part of ADM’s increased focus on prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, and other functional ingredients. It comes just two months after the opening of the company’s new probiotic and postbiotic production facility in Spain.
“Brightseed and ADM share the conviction that precision health outcomes for consumers should be driving category innovations,” said Sofia Elizondo, co-founder, and chief operating officer for Brightseed.
She added that ADM’s advanced understanding of the untapped potential of natural compounds will be instrumental in redefining the future of ingredients to promote a healthy microbiome.
In its efforts to expand its focus on probiotics and prebiotics, ADM also partnered with Univar Solutions to examine bioactive and microbiome solutions to promote healthy aging.
These functional ingredients can be incorporated into a range of products, including snacks like protein bars, beverages, and dairy products, to promote uptake and efficiency in meeting the needs of an aging population.
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