A Taste of Wellness for Savoury and Snacks
Givaudan
According to FibroGen Inc., an American company developing synthetic gelatine and collagen, fears of mad cow disease will boost sales as the public seeks non-bovine made products, Reuters reports.
FibroGen hopes its genetically engineered products will gain popularity as companies and hospitals seek to shield themselves from the perception that cow-derived gelatine and collagen are not safe. The company is working to develop treatments for tissue disorders such as fibrosis and excessive scarring using collagen and gelatine, which is a collagen derivative that is used in pharmaceuticals, food and cosmetics. Collagen and gelatine are typically derived from cow tendons, bones and hides, which, some argue, are potential transmitters of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Jack Anthony, FibroGen's VP of global business development, claims that within 6-7 years, his company will have 20 to 30 per cent of the overall collagen/gelatine market. According to the company's estimates, the global market for unprocessed gelatine is worth as much as $4bn, and the market for collagen is worth about $1bn.
In Europe, more than 100 cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human form of BSE, have been linked to the consumption of infected beef. But how the disease is transmitted is unknown, and there is no evidence it is communicated through products containing collagen or gelatine.
The company is working with 60 pharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies to test the products, Anthony claims. "We have had a very strong demand from pharmaceutical and medical device companies based in Europe and now we are now seeing U.S. companies also coming forward and beginning to evaluate the materials," he said.
Anthony attributes the company's scientific advances to technology it licensed from Oulu University in Finland. The technology uses yeast and transgenic plants to duplicate the way the body produces its 21 different collagens.
FibroGen expects to commercially launch its products within two years.
Source: Reuters