The Health Canada Food Directorate, Winston-Salem, N.C., has approved Ahiflower oil as safe for use in foods and beverages in Canada. Ahiflower oil is exclusively grown and manufactured by Natures Crops International and distributed within Canada by Cambrian Solutions, a Maroon Group Co.

Westchester, Ill.-based Ingredion Inc. announced that Jeremy Xu has been named senior vice president, and chief innovation officer, effective Oct. 1. In this capacity, Xu will be responsible for advancing the company’s focus on specialty growth platforms, identifying new growth opportunities and overseeing the Ingredion Idea Labs innovation centers.

Carlsbad, Calif.-based Natural Alternatives International Inc., the company behind SR CarnoSyn, a patented, sustained-release beta-alanine, recently posted a new blog on their website titled “Beta-Alanine Supplementation Helps to Improve Your Mood.” In clinical studies, beta-alanine and carnosine have been shown to be effective at reducing the negative impacts from stress on your body and brain, it says.

Austin, Texas-based Applied Food Sciences (AFS) announced that its AMATEA organic guayusa extract has been deemed safe for use in food and beverages by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The extract uses a patented extraction process to highlight the caffeine and antioxidants naturally occurring in guayusa leaves to provide premium, organic energy.

Elemend Health LLC, Eden Prairie, Minn., a wholly owned subsidiary of Zinpro Corp., announced the launch of its Mend + Defend, a line of premium nutritional supplements featuring trace minerals, colostrum and probiotics. Mend + Defend supplements utilize patented minerals with unique absorption and high concentration levels of immune-supporting antibodies to help mend and defend the body for lasting wellness, it says. The company now has  six products across three product lines: First Colostrum, GutWell and PeforMins.

SweeGen, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., announced Food Standards Australia, New Zealand (FSANZ) has assessed and approved Bestevia Reb E stevia sweetener as a food additive, stated in Application A1183, published on July 28, 2020. Under the Food Standards Code, FSANZ has approved a new specification for the steviol glycoside Rebaudioside E, produced by SweeGen’s proprietary stevia leaf-based bioconversion process.

Lycored, Branchburg, N.J., has expanded its tomato-based lycopene production to meet unprecedented demand. The company now will harvest record volumes of tomato annually for its color and health ingredient portfolio following a three-year, multi-million-dollar investment in new lines, equipment and process and supply optimization strategies, it says. Lycored’s color formulation capabilities will be a central part of the expansion driven by its new formulation facility in Branchburg, New Jersey. The new plant will increase the company’s current color formulation capacity, reducing carbon footprint, and support expansion and supply into additional markets in Asia and the Middle East.

BENEO, Parsippany, N.J., has announced a 50 percent production capacity increase at its Wijgmaal, Belgium-based facility to respond to rising customer demand for its rice starches. A two-stage expansion process valued at $56 million, will lead to increased capacity by March 2022. BENEO forecasts that the growing demand for natural and clean-label products will intensify in major existing markets, including the Americas and Europe. Rice is widely considered a familiar and recognizable product, with 61 percent of consumers worldwide regarding rice starch as natural , making it the ideal ingredient for the development of products that respond to the increasing trend for clean and clearer labels, the company says.