News

Arjuna reports increased curcumin sales

25 Jul 2016

Arjuna Natural Extracts has reported increasing sales of its BCM-95 curcumin, saying that sales of the all-natural, patented formulation of turmeric extract rose globally by 20% in 2015 over 2014.

Arjuna Natural Extracts has reported increasing sales of its BCM-95 curcumin, saying that sales of the all-natural, patented formulation of turmeric extract rose globally by 20% in 2015 over 2014.

Google points to turmeric as a “rising star” — ranked by volume of searches — in its food trends report for 2016. The interest in this functional ingredient grew by 56% from November to January this year alone, Arjuna notes, while consumers are turning to YouTube to learn about the benefits of turmeric — so much so that the top five educational videos on turmeric attracted a total of nearly 4 million views.

DolCas Biotech, the US associate of Arjuna Natural Extracts, plays a significant role in steering the extensive research initiatives on curcumin, jointly funded by both the companies, Arjuna points out.

“Consumers already trust this ingredient and brand, and growing awareness of the health benefits of turmeric extracts spurred an increase in sales of BCM-95 of 20%,” said Jomy Jose, Marketing Director for Arjuna. “We also increased the production capacity by 20% to match this growing demand for BCM-95.”

Jose notes that while consumers are actively seeking information on turmeric, there is confusion in the market about curcumin absorption and oral bioavailability, Also, he said, unsubstantiated claims by various “rush-to-market” copycat turmeric products contributes to consumer insecurity

The main problem of curcumin is that it is not absorbed nor retained well in the blood, Arjuna explains, saying that many curcumin products add synthetic additives to solve this problem. Such additives can have a negative impact on the active ingredients’ purity and potency, the company claims, noting that, in the case of unregulated turmeric products, the additives themselves, as well as purity problems in general, could lead to potential health issues with long term use.

“Any supplement you put into your body should be both safe and effective,” said Benny Antony, Joint Managing Director for Arjuna. “Arjuna’s curcumin is highly bioavailable thanks to the synergism between the curcumin and the compound ar-turmerone, an essential oil component of turmeric extract. Ar-turmerone concentrates in BCM95 synergistically combine with curcuminoids to reach the blood stream in unmodified — and thus more bioactive — form.”

The turmeric used for BCM-95 is claimed to eliminate the chance of contamination. BCM-95 does not contain any pesticides and complies with the standards set by EU regulations. It also meets the new European 2015/1933 PAH regulation that sets maximum levels of PAHs in food supplements.

“There is a gap between consumer desire to use good-for-you curcumin and the offerings in the market,” said Jose. “This makes it harder for processors to develop a new supplement or functional food or beverage. Arjuna has the expertise and technical staff to help product developers fill this gap.”