1. Anne, how would you define innovation at BCF Life Sciences in a few words?
To define innovation at BCF Life Sciences, it’s important to remember that the ingredients we develop are derived from the circular economy, and have been since the very origins of our business. Our innovations aim to improve the health of humans, animals and plants, using amino acids extracted from the feather protein keratin.
Our innovations aim to create value from the raw material right through to our customers’ applications: for example, improving yields from plant production; offering ingredients for incorporation into dietary supplements for the health and beauty of hair, skin and nails; or enhancing the palatability of shrimp and fish feed.
2. How does the circular economy play out at BCF Life Sciences?
As I said earlier, we add value to co-products from the poultry industry, but we want to go even further by developing solutions that enable our customers to meet the major challenges currently facing their respective markets.
In plant health, for example, our amino acids and formulations help limit inputs, improve soil quality and help plants combat heat and water stress. It’s a virtuous circle that’s part of the regenerative agriculture perspective! We are also working in aquaculture to improve the feed efficiency of shrimps and fish, and thus limit the impact of these products on the environment.
The health of pets and humans are also issues on which we are launching projects.
As you can see, our value chain is constantly evolving thanks to our research!
3. What types of collaboration support the performance of your ingredients?
In order to innovate by developing new ingredients and new applications, we have of course developed numerous partnerships over many years with research institutes, technical centers and universities that are benchmarks in their fields.
These collaborations take the form of scientific projects both in the laboratory and in the field. In fact, we set up numerous efficacy demonstration trials, whether in vitro (cell models), in the field, on animals or during clinical studies in human health.
We also set up thesis programs, enabling us to explore promising and strategic subjects in greater depth, not only by working with the best scientific teams in the field, but also by training young scientists.
The results of our work are valorized through scientific publications and patents. This is an important way of enhancing the value of our research for our customers.
Our scientific and technical network extends far beyond France, and is constantly expanding!
4. Can you share with us the latest BCF Life Sciences innovations?
In recent years, we have developed considerable expertise in the field of human health, focusing on the health and beauty of skin, hair and nails. This has enabled us to develop innovative solutions such as Kera-Diet, which has already been the subject of 2 clinical studies.
In biostimulants, we have worked hard on the application of our amino acid mixes to advise our customers, and also to compile regulatory dossiers. In 2022, for example, we obtained 2 AMMs (Marketing Authorizations issued by ANSES). We are continuing to work on these AMMs, thanks to new projects. More recently, we have developed formulations combining amino acids and nutrients, enabling us to target new functionalities.
In Aquaculture, our latest innovations aim to characterize the role of amino acids in shrimp palatability, or health in general.
5. What are the prospects for amino acid innovation at BCF Life Sciences?
Amino acids are, of course, well-known essential nutrients for human, animal and plant health. I’m not going to give you a lecture on protein nutrition! However, over and above this fundamental nutritional role, our trials have also highlighted other benefits of amino acids, at very low doses. Our work, like that published in other application sectors, shows that amino acids act as active ingredients, with “signal” effects on the regulation of metabolism or immunity, for example. This opens up exciting prospects for innovation in health nutrition!
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