Land grant university spin-off companies are today’s rage and a way for academics to develop and commercialize proprietary products. One of the latest is Nutrasorb, LLC, a Rutgers University spin-off.
BETTER THAN ‘BLUES’?! Nutritionally-enhanced non-GMO lettuces with antioxidant levels higher than blueberries are moving into the health food sections of major food chain stores. (Photo courtesy of Edible Garden)
This spring, Edible Garden, a Terra Tech subsidiary and retailer of locally grown hydroponic produce, inked an exclusive agreement with Nutrasorb to grow and commercialize nutritionally-enhanced Super Lettuce varieties across the North America, Europe and Australia. Edible Garden, cultivates a premier brand of local and sustainably grown hydroponic produce, sold through major grocery stores such as Shoprite, Walmart, Krogers, and others in New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and the Midwest. The lettuce super blend will be non-GMO Project verified.
The nutritionally-enhanced proprietary lettuces, developed by Rutgers University scientists, are high in vitamins A and C, magnesium, iron and potassium contents. They also have high levels of fiber and chlorogenic acid, according to Dr. Ilya Raskin, professor at Rutgers’ School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and Nutrasorb chairman.
“Producing nutritionally-enhanced, non-GMO leafy vegetables differentiates us from our competition,” notes Ken VandeVrede, Terra Tech chief operating officer.
Phytonutrient extracts, too
The agreement also enables Edible Garden to grow produce derived from the Green Super Lettuce (“GSL”) seed for extracting and selling phytonutrient ingredients. The polyphenol extractions (chlorogenic acid, quercetin derivatives and anthocyanin compounds) have potential uses in functional foods, skin care products and nutraceuticals.
Nutrasorb also developed a Rutgers Scarlet Lettuce. RSL extracts carry polyphenol antioxidant levels almost three times higher than blueberries – previously considered the champion of health foods. It delivers significant decreases in blood glucose and insulin resistance over regular lettuce when fed to diabetic mice, according to published Raskin research.
Development of the varieties was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health and support from Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station. For more information on nutritionally-enhanced, non-GMO leafy vegetables, click on nutrasorb .
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