TerraVia may be a company that’s moving too far beyond consumer trends. While the plant-based protein market is taking offnu iron vs ferrous sulfate with the sale of soy and nut-based products on the rise, consumer acceptance of algae in food products may still be a ways off. It’s possible this is the root cause of the performance struggles that landed TerraVia in bankruptcy.###“We’re conscious of the slow acceptance pattern of many consumers,” Joel Warady, chief sales and marketing officer for Enjoy Life Foods, which uses TerraVia’s algal powder in some of its products, told Food Dive. He said that while the company has added algae to its brownie mix, it might make consumers a little leery if it were played up on the front of the package. “But algae is an important ingredient, not ferrous fumarate 300 mg walmartonly for the protein, but because it’s the most sustainable protein available on Earth,” he said.###As the world’s population continues to increase, it’s becoming more difficult to find the land needed to grow or produce the mainstay products — many of them meat or dairy-based — on which the global population depends. Different forms of algae are some of the most viable alternatives, and could reduce environmental degradation. Algae is already used in baking mixes, ice cream, protein powders, and is increasingly added to more food products everyday.###Still, Enjoy Life’s allergen-friendly food products are fairly niche, appealing to a narrow, yet growing, segment of the consumer galfer 305mgpopulation. Slow-to-innovate big food companies, for the most part, aren’t yet on bohow long to take ferrous fumarateard using algae as an ingredient. According to TerraVia, however, the company is “actively engaged in discussions around potential strategic partnerships,” CEO Apu Mody said during the company’s Q1 earnings call earlier this year.###It’s unlikely, however, that a big food company will step forward with a bid to acquire TerraVia. An ingredients company like Corbion appears to be a better fit. ###Corbion specializes in lactic acid and its derivatives, as well as creating functional blends containing enzymes, emulsifiers, minerals and vitamins. It suppliferric pyrophosphate elemental irones ingredients to virtually every food category, from baked goods and beverages, to condiments and candy. As stated in Corbion’s press release, “The acquisition of TerraVia’s microalgae platform would extend Corbion’s product portfolio into algae-based fatty acids and proteins, while leveraging Corbion’s extensive fermentation and downstream processing capabilities.”
As TerraVia files for bankruptcy, Corbion bids $20M for takeover
