Horphag Research Creates Nutrition Division

GENEVA, SwitzerlandHorphag Research launched Horphag Research Nutrition, a new division of the company focused on the growing opportunities for its flagship ingredient Pycnogenol®, a botanical extract from French maritime pine bark, in the functional food and beverage sector as well as developing other nutritional ingredients. Horphag hired two food industry executives, Markus Beba and David Johnston, to lead this division. 

With our double-digit growth showing no signs of slowing down, there has been an overwhelming consensus to expand Pycnogenol® further into the food and beverage sector, as it has already been the case in many Asian countries," said Victor Ferrari, CEO of Horphag Research. Our new executives will be an essential part of building our ingredients future in the food and beverage industry."

Formerly with Firmenich SA, Beba, vice president sales and business development, has held several sales and marketing positions within the food ingredients industry for the last 17 years.  Johnston, vice president of technical development, brings industrial experience from the food and flavor industry.  Having spent the last 12 years at Firmenich SA as global head of flavor innovation, Johnston was responsible for the development of new innovations.

The new division will initially target womens health and sports nutrition.  For women, Pycnogenol®s largest arsenal of clinical data supports cardiovascular and circulatory health, inside and outside beauty/skin care, and PMS and menopause symptom relief.  For athletes or the physically active, the product plays a role in vascular response to exercise by enhancing endurance during physical exertion through increasing the bodys capacity to produce nitric oxide.

While this will be the initial focus of the new division, the company said Pycnogenol® has growth opportunities in other health areas where.

Pycnogenol® is a potent polyphenol and is available in more than 700 dietary supplements, cosmeceuticals and functional food and beverage products worldwide. Pycnogenol® has more than 98 clinical studies on joint health, eye health, cognitive function and more. It is (GRAS) generally recognized as safe in the United States, as well as GMP (good manufacturing practice) and kosher certified.