“This is the first non-thermal pasteurization dairy product launched that has gained GRAS approval,” Tamarack Biotics CEO, Bob Comstock, told DairyReporter.
A product like TruActive is unique because it retains the same compounds that have been linked to a number of health benefits but until now have been in unsafe products such as raw milk.
“Protein is an enormous category of compounds and the most immune active of those proteins are the ones that are the most thermally sensitive,” Comstock said.
Target markets
A major target market for TruActive is sports nutrition because the immune active proteins have been shown to improve athletic performance, according to Comstock.
“We think these immune active proteins will play a very critical role for pre-workout or for performance and recovery,” he said. “Having them available in large quantity will benefit athletes.”
Tamarack Biotics is looking to break into the senior nutrition market, through a double-blind placebo controlled trial in partnership with UC Davis. Comstock explained that once a person is over the age of 70, their immune response slows down, especially to vaccines.
The study is seeking to address this issue by treating people with the immune active proteins present in TruActive.
“What we’re expecting that by taking an immune active product it’s going to stimulate people’s immune systems so that they respond better to the vaccine,” Comstock added.
“These immune active proteins belong in things like Ensure and Boost because we can really finally deliver something more than just protein.”
Allergy prevention potential
A study, which monitored 983 infants from various countries for their first year of life, found that consumption of unprocessed milk was associated with lower occurrence of respiratory infections and allergies such as asthma than consumption of ultra-heat pasteurized milk. However, the health hazards of raw milk present a large public health obstacle.
Tamarack Biotics believes that obstacle can be broken down with TruActive because it retains more of the natural compounds found in raw milk that have been shown to prevent allergies from developing.
“We’re not talking about just reducing the symptoms, we’re talking about reducing the number of people that develop allergies,” Comstock said.
“We meet the same level of safety as heat pasteurized milk, but we retain these compounds believed responsible for the allergy prevention benefit.”
Next steps for TruActive
Tamarack Biotics is now in the process of presenting its GRAS approval for TruActive to the FDA. If successful, the FDA will issue a “no objection” letter and manufacturers to produce products with TruActive.
The company has already started working with major sports nutritional and supplement companies on new product development using TruActive.