EpiCor Yeast Fermentate Appears in First Lozenge Product

Photo © iStockphoto.com/Eraxion

Immune-health yeast-fermentate ingredient EpiCor is now appearing in its first throat lozenge product, which debuts this month in New Zealand. EpiCor manufacturer Embria Health Sciences (Ankeny, IA) partnered with Good Health Products (Auckland, New Zealand) to launch the Viralex Soothe EpiCor throat lozenges in health stores and pharmacies across New Zealand.

The positive consumer response to Good Health’s Viralex Attack capsule product-part of its winter immune range that also features EpiCor-prompted the brand to look at other applications for the yeast-based ingredient, according to Julia van de Coolwijk, marketing manager of Good Health.

“We wanted to leverage the success of EpiCor by providing this unique ingredient in a different format and to specifically target a different cold and flu symptom-sore throats,” says van de Coolwijk, in the launch announcement. “We have also developed this product to be complementary to our existing Viralex range.”

“EpiCor provides a differentiated product by being natural and fast acting,” says van de Coolwijk. “It was also an effective material for making into a high-boil lozenge and, with exclusivity in the [New Zealand] market, it provides us with an ingredient that enables a strong and unique point of difference from our competitors.”

Embria Health Sciences told Nutritional Outlook it was not challenging to formulate EpiCor into a lozenge, although it was necessary to adjust the die form to accommodate an expansion in material volume during the formulation process.

“These new lozenges open up a new and exciting product form for EpiCor,” says Jeff Cannon, CEO of Diamond V, Embria’s parent company, in the announcement.

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Michael Crane
Associate Editor
Nutritional Outlook Magazine
michael.crane@ubm.com