EUSTIS, Fla.—Valensa International received a 2009 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Customer Value Enhancement for its work in developing the global eye health market. Frost & Sullivan noted Valensa has worked to expand the market for the carotenoid astaxanthin as an eye health ingredient, citing Valensa’s intellectual property holdings and approach to developing combination formulations using its ZANTHIN natural astaxanthin and other ingredients including lutein and zeaxanthin. The company also launched Deep Ocean Krill™ (DOK) in March 2010, a premium krill oil ingredient with fortified astaxanthin levels.
“Owing to astaxanthin’s higher anti-oxidant capacity compared to that of lutein, and established by relevant tests, diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, retinal, arterial, and venous occlusion, diabetic retinopathy, and depth perception issues are expected to be mitigated by fewer per-day doses of astaxanthin compared to that of lutein,” said Sneha Pasricha, research analyst, Frost & Sullivan. “This validates the cost effectiveness and proficiency of astaxanthin as a valuable eye health ingredient and Valensa’s vision to recognize the potential of the ingredient and tap it through suitable strategies.”
According to Frost & Sullivan, Valensa International held approximately 29.0 percent share in the U.S. astaxanthin market in 2007, with almost 48.8 percent share in terms of volume in the eye health sector alone, indicating the degree of emphasis the company places on the eye health attributes of astaxanthin. Valensa also uses a proprietary DeepExtract™ supercritical CO2 extract process as well as the O2B™ perioxidation blocker stabilization technology to enhance the stability and efficacy of its ingredients.
Rudi E. Moerck, Valensa’s president and CEO, commented: “We are very pleased that an organization with the respect that Frost & Sullivan commands has recognized our work in the area of eye health with astaxanthin. We feel that this validates our position with this ingredient in the marketplace and should serve to alert the nutraceutical and health community about the untapped potential that exists with this ingredient.” In fact, Moerck said there is a great deal of potential for astaxanthin in the future, adding, “Increasingly we are seeing that astaxanthin outperforms lutein in dealing with oxidative damage to the eye and is an excellent complement to lutein in eye health formulations. With the aging of our population in the United States and Europe, we feel the time is now for astaxanthin and eye health.”
