Larex Nets Award for FiberAid®

Larex Nets Award for FiberAid®

WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn.LarexInc. was recently selected by Frost & Sullivan as recipient of the 2004Product Innovation Award for development of its larch arabinogalactan (AG)product, FiberAid®, a soluble prebiotic fiber marketed for beneficial effectson the gastrointestinal system.

The award, presented in Frost & Sullivans report StrategicAnalysis of the U.S. Prebiotics Market, is presented annually to a companydeemed to have demonstrated excellence in new products and technologies.

AG, a polysaccharide derived from North American larch treeswith a molecular weight of approximately 20,000 Daltons, is generally recognizedas safe (GRAS) for food applications and is approved by the Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) as a source of dietary fiber. It has high aqueoussolubility of up to 70 percent, broad range pH and temperature stability, highsalt compatibility and low viscosity. AG has neutral color, odor and tasteprofiles, is readily biodegradable and possesses Newtonian fluid properties. Itcan be used as an emulsifier, dispersant and rheology control additive.

With a state-of-the-art, fully automated,20,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that is capable of producing eightmillion pounds of AG per year, Larex is undoubtedly the market leader in the AGsegment, said Haricharan Desai, research analyst with Frost & Sullivan.Its focus on product innovation and leadership is noteworthy and deservesrecognition.