Gnosis by Lesaffre has a thoughtfully crafted namesake. The word “gnosis” describes the act or process of knowing, which embodies the company’s relentless motivation to explore both the undiscovered and untapped potential of micro-organisms and biotransformation, and how, together, they can help everyone thrive.
Gnosis joined Lesaffre in 2018 and it’s been a perfect fit. The Group has been working with micro-organisms for more than 170 years. With that integration, the parent company is propelling Gnosis forward, nurturing its commitment to researching innovative science-based ingredients that will genuinely improve our quality of life.
“We see micro-organisms as part of our workforce, collaborating with nutraceutical and pharmaceutical brands to develop game-changing products that help their customers thrive,” explains Marc Philouze, General Manager of Gnosis by Lesaffre. “We do this through biotransformation — with processes such as fermentation and biocatalysis — to create active ingredients, probiotics and nutritional yeasts.”
“Biotransformation is integral because it’s more sustainable, more aligned with consumer demand for natural ingredients and capitalises on the unlimited potential of micro-organisms to shape the industry,” he adds. Gnosis by Lesaffre has more than 400 team members spread across the globe, offering a hands-on experience for customers and personal insights into the markets they serve.
As a key player in human health and nutrition, the company focuses on three main solutions that address trending applications in five core market segments:
- wellness and immune health
- digestion and gut health
- mobility and joint health
- reproduction and women’s health
- mood and cognitive health.
A focus on innovation
The last 2 years have posed challenges to the health and nutrition industry, but Gnosis by Lesaffre has never wavered from its mission and forward movement. Although many struggled to survive in a changing market, Gnosis by Lesaffre continued to grow, acquiring NattoPharma in 2021 to strengthen its leading contribution to the development of vitamin K2 with the clinically validated MenaQ7 Vitamin K2 as MK-7 brand. The company does not duplicate what’s already available; instead, it introduces unique technologies that drive its market segments.
Wellness and immune health
Gnosis by Lesaffre was excited to launch LifeinU BSCU1, a clinically validated probiotic that supports immune health. sIgA (secretory immunoglobulin A) is an antibody that plays a role in the immune function of mucous membranes, but its level decreases with age and is impacted by other factors.
Clinical study results and substantiations obtained using an innovative Gut-on-Chip model showed that supplementation with LifeinU BSCU1 induces a significant increase in sIgA levels in the intestine and saliva.
In addition, the company introduced Lynside Immunity Prebiotic, a patented yeast cell wall ingredient with a proven prebiotic effect in different human enterotypes. With efficacy demonstrated in a state-of-the-art dynamic model of a gut microbiota simulator (the PolyFermS), Lynside Immunity Prebiotic was shown to play a crucial role in the microbiome’s biodiversity by supporting the adaptive growth of necessary bacteria for each enterotype.
Digestion and gut health
With more than 70 clinical studies demonstrating its beneficial effects, Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii (S. boulardii) is the most documented probiotic yeast available. Well known for decades for its gut health benefits related to preventing and resolving gastrointestinal infections, S. boulardii survives throughout the gastrointestinal tract ... even during antibiotic treatment.
Thanks to the Lesaffre Group’s 170 years of yeast fermentation and production expertise, Gnosis by Lesaffre’s S. boulardii, Lynside PRO SCB, is obtained through fine-tuned production and drying processes. Thus, it offers a powerful probiotic with a long shelf-life (up to 5 years) and superior stability in various packaging formats.
“Because of our 100% in-house processes — from fermentation to grinding in approved pharmaceutical equipment — Gnosis by Lesaffre guarantees high-quality standard probiotics in compliance with GMP requirements,” says Philouze.
Mobility and joint health
Acquiring NattoPharma in 2021, Gnosis by Lesaffre now offers the only clinically validated vitamin K2 as MK-7, MenaQ7, in addition to its established vitaMK7 natural K2 brand. But the company took the category a step further, launching its new “Matrix” protective technology at the end of last year.
“Matrix is a proprietary technology developed by our R&D teams to make it easier for manufacturers to create more complex formulations utilising vitamin K2 while widening the potential of new formulation opportunities,” explains Philouze.
“Unlike other protective technologies, Matrix was explicitly developed for vitamin K2; we did not adapt an existing technology that was previously used for other ingredients. Matrix comes with no coating, no additives and no additional constituents, offering a short list of ingredients that’s limited to the active molecule and a carrier.”
Reproduction and women’s health
In early 2022, Gnosis by Lesaffre launched a new educational portal for its innovative “finished” folate ingredient, Quatrefolic, which the body can use immediately without any further metabolism. Folate plays an essential role in human growth and development, contributing to a healthy pregnancy and beyond, including normal homocysteine metabolism and mood.
In addition to the new portal (quatrefolic.com), the company launched a complete educational programme to increase practitioner and consumer awareness of the importance of folate as opposed to folic acid and highlight folate’s impact beyond pregnancy and fertility.
Mood and cognitive health
Gnosis by Lesaffre offers the clinically validated Adonat, the leading premium brand of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe). The result of more than 30 years of expertise and 10 patents, Adonat Premium SAMe combines state-of-the-art industrial manufacturing, relentless innovation and esteemed research to achieve a proprietary stabilised oral dosage form. Most recently, Adonat underwent a brand refresh, breathing new life into the most effective ingredient to support adult mood improvement.
“We were the first company to introduce and commercialise SAMe worldwide. Today, our cGMP-approved manufacturing plant in Switzerland guarantees the highest quality standards,” says Philouze. “Further, we perpetually continue our research and analytics (R&A) development for products made with SAMe. We are the only supplier to provide high-quality SAMe bulk powder, enteric-coated tablets, mixes and stabilised oral dosage forms for nutritional and pharmaceutical applications.”
Integral partnerships
Gnosis by Lesaffre drives consistent innovation across all the market segments it serves thanks to decades of expertise and securing lasting partnerships. “From strain selection to downstream processing, we have an in-depth knowledge that allows us to put the best strains in the optimal fermentation conditions for unrivalled quality and consistency while scaling-up production,” explains Philouze. “We’ve mastered our industrial processes, which means greater quality products and more consistent scale-up for our customers.”
Gnosis by Lesaffre also holds clinical validation in high regard, ensuring that its branded solutions deliver the health benefits promised. The company works with a vast network of academic institutions, clinical centres and universities to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of its ingredients in numerous clinical studies. And Philouze asserts that this foundation feeds into the customer experience.
“We believe that customers come to us for the scientifically validated ingredients we offer, but they stay with us for the collaborative partnership they receive,” he says. “Each customer wants to bring something unique to the market. Our job is to ensure that we find the right solution for their needs. We guide brand owners through formulation and cobranding, so that their products can quickly enter the market. And our engagement ensures that they successfully communicate the value of those products to the end-user in a way that complies with global regulatory requirements.”
Furthermore, Gnosis by Lesaffre works closely with industry experts, creating an education base that perpetuates the understanding of the science supporting its ingredients while also driving demand for products featuring those ingredients. And those experts are often available to Gnosis by Lesaffre’s customers for co-operative marketing opportunities.
Sustaining the planet and the population
Social responsibility is part of the Gnosis by Lesaffre DNA. The company believes it must give back to the planet and is committed to minimising its environmental footprint.
“Biotransformation is the most promising opportunity for industries to reduce raw material consumption and waste when developing active ingredients,” explains Philouze, noting that this feeds into Gnosis by Lesaffre being a long-time supporter of organisations that fight against child malnutrition and digestive diseases, such as Vitamin Angels and DigestScience.
In closing, Gnosis by Lesaffre is a true partner for brand owners who subscribe to the company’s philosophy of “exploring life to improve living, working together to better nourish and protect the planet.” Philouze concludes: “We see our products as a real opportunity to change global health and well-being on a healthy planet. We must provide the highest-quality ingredients with a staunch commitment to quality standards and clinical validation. This is the bare minimum to which all suppliers should be held.”