Thanks to the work of Harvard scientists, we know that daily consumption of coffee may lower the risk of prostate cancer and that red wine could slow aging.
The next big breakthrough in food-health news might very well come from a small lab in Longmont.
ChromaDex (NASDAQ: CDXC), a California-based natural products company, recently expanded to the city after outgrowing its Boulder operation.
The 10,000-square-foot facility on S. Fordham Road will handle research and development for the entire ChromaDex operation, testing plants for hidden properties and formulating extractions into pills or powders to be added to food, drinks and cosmetic products.
“Everything is going toward healthier, better options and people understanding what they’re putting in their bodies,” said Aron Erickson, head of technology for ChromaDex. “If we can help people live longer and be healthier, that’s what we want to do.”
About $1 million was invested in building out the Longmont property. Seven employees from Boulder moved to the new location, and 30 to 40 positions will be added over the next five to seven years, averaging a $70,000 yearly salary.
As part of the move, Longmont approved a $16,000 incentive package, in the form of permit fee rebates.
“ChromaDex has been growing so much, we needed to expand,” Erickson said.
In 2015, ChromaDex reported revenues of $22.1 million, up 44 percent from the previous year. Final numbers for 2016 haven’t yet been reported, but through the third quarter, but it had brought in $21.2 million through Oct. 1.
Driving the company’s growth is the ingredients division, which Erickson said has doubled each of the past five years.
That includes both contract manufacturing of natural and synthetic ingredients, and development of its own proprietary formulas. It’s in this side of the business where ChromaDex expects to make the most money.
The company’s flagship product is Niagen, a vitamin B3 (niacin) supplement that is coveted for its purported anti-aging properties.
Also patented are a delayed-release caffeine crystal and an antioxidant-rich purple powder extracted from the husks of purple corn.
The ingredients ultimately end up as supplements or added to food and drinks.
Despite the push toward natural and organic, adding healthful ingredients to consumables remains a strong trend, according to Boulder-based food scientist Derek Spors.
“Foods blurring the line between supplement and food are quite popular,” Spors said. “It’s adding a little extra something to an existing product that maybe exists inherently in that food, but not enough to actually do something.”
Yogurt is one example, he said. Given the advancement of technology, added probiotics have a more measurable benefit than naturally-existing bacteria found in yogurt.
Added antioxidants continue to move products off the shelves, according to Spors, and a focus on dietary deficiencies of Americans by the federal government is creating markets for vitamin d- and potassium-fortified foods.
The possibilities are as endless as the planet’s diversity, ChromaDex’s Erickson said.
“There are so many botanicals that have yet to be analyzed,” he said. “We’re looking all over the world for new ingredients.”
Shay Castle: 303-473-1626, castles@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/shayshinecastle
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