Brand new: Avesthagen, Kirin, Yakult, Miriqa in the spotlight

From genomics to functional foods: India’s Avesthagen launches sugar and calorie management gummies​​

Indian biotech firm Avesthagen has launched its first preventive health product – a blood sugar and calorie management gummy.

The gummies are formulated with the extract of medicinal plant Trigonella foenum-graecum ​which is rich in galactomannan. 

The Bangalore-based firm showcased its product marketed as Teestar at the booth of white label manufacturing firm Genomelabs during Vitafoods India. 

Beyond hydration: Kirin launches first FFC-labelled sports nutrition drink in Japan​  ​

Kirin has launched its first Food with Function Claims (FFC) sports nutrition drink with immune health benefits. This was a product developed based on consumer survey which showed that consumers were looking for more than nutritional, hydrating benefits when purchasing sports drinks.

The age group of the respondents — 40s to 50s — account for about 40% of sports drink users in Japan.

The new product, known as Kirin Plasma Sports, contains Kirin’s proprietary functional ingredient Lactococcus lactis strain plasma​ (LC-Plasma).

Shuck and awe: Japanese oyster company shells out on first beauty and nutritional supplement​ ​

Japan firm General Oyster has entered the supplement space with the debut of its zinc-rich tablets made from oyster ingredients, which are targeted at beauty- and health-conscious women.

The product, known as The 8th Sea Oyster Supplement, is made from oysters that are purified using the firm’s patented technology, which utilises concentrated deep sea water from Nyūzen in Toyama Prefecture to optimise the balance of mineral elements in sea water and oysters.

Presented in the form of sugar-coated tablets, the supplement is targeted at women in their 30s to 50s, who are highly conscious of beauty and overall health. 

A balancing act: Yakult on achieving the right taste for new reduced sugar product and gut-brain axis research​  

Hitting the right balance between the sourness of lactic acid bacteria and sweetness is the crux behind the development of Yakult’s latest launch in Singapore, said the firm.

Yakult Singapore launched in March its newest product in the city-state known as Yakult Gold. This is a reformulation of the firm’s flagship Yakult Original, with about 2.5 times lesser sugar and 1.5 µg of vitamin D added.

To achieve a similar taste as Yakult Original despite reduced sugar levels, Kawada Hiroyuki, managing director, Yakult Singapore said that the crux laid in hitting the right balance between the sourness of lactic acid bacteria and sweetness.

From pharma to lifestyle nutrition: Singapore firm launches day and night dual sleep and energy supplement​  

Singapore-based Wellchem Pharmaceuticals has launched a day and night dual set for sleep and energy under the brand Miriqa, as it seeks new growth avenues beyond pharmaceuticals.

Known as Miriqa Deep Sleep and Bright Days, the two products are designed to respectively promote relaxation, deeper sleep as well as increase productivity and improve memory and focus during the day.

Both products are formulated with five ingredients each. Deep Sleep, for example, contains GABA, Lingzhi, chamomile, turmeric, and jujube seed, while Bright Days consists of pomegranate fruit extract, panax ginseng, ginkgo biloba extract, maca, and KSM-66 ashwagandha root extract.