Food & Beverage Asia June/July 2022

8
NEWS
Sweegen wins stevia
Reb M patent lawsuit
against PureCircle
Sweegen has announced its win against
PureCircle in a stevia Rebaudioside M
(Reb M) patent lawsuit.
"Today's judgement vindicates
Sweegen and affirms the company's
position as an industry leader in
innovative sweetener solutions," said
Steven Chen, CEO of Sweegen.
PureCircle, acquired by Ingredion in 2020,
had filed the 2018 lawsuit against Sweegen
in the US District Court for the Central
District of California, accusing Sweegen
of infringing two PureCircle patents
covering the manufacture of Reb M.
The legal tide turned on PureCircle when
Sweegen obtained a summary judgement
that both of PureCircle's asserted patents
are invalid. Since it is impossible to infringe
an invalid patent, the court's invalidation
of the asserted patents ends the
infringement case against Sweegen at the
US District Court.
"As a holder of core proprietary technologies
of wellness ingredients, Sweegen
vigourously guards its intellectual
property rights and respects those of
others," said Chen. "We have always
maintained that PureCircle's patents
were invalid and its case against
Sweegen spurious."
Sweegen is the primary producer of the non-
GMO Reb M originating from the stevia leaf,
made with a clean bioconversion method. ■
Isagenix launches its range of meal shakes
and food supplements in Mexico through
Blendhub’s platform
Isagenix, a specialist in the development
of nutritional products such as shakes and
food supplements, has launched its range
of meal shakes and food supplements in
Mexico through Blendhub’s platform.
Isagenix faced two major challenges as
it was looking to grow in the Mexican
market: the cost of logistics to import its
products from the US, and the need to
offer local flavours, adapted to Mexican
consumers. Isagenix chose Blendhub
to solve both challenges and develop
its first production outside the US. First,
Blendhub's multi-localised platform, with
a production hub in Mexico, localises
production and minimises the cost
of raw materials, logistics and tariffs,
thus becoming more competitive.
Secondly, Blendhub‘s food-as-a-service
strategy can help food companies launch
a new product globally in much shorter
times, identifying the best formulators
to ensure exclusive and pioneering food
products in the market, with tailor-made
solutions. In this case, Blendhub developed
a rice horchata formula for Isashake shakes.
Lizeth Bucio, marketing director of Isagenix
Mexico, highlighted: “The flavour achieved
for the horchata has been a great success.
This has allowed us to position quickly in
the Mexican market and create a feeling
of belonging among Mexican consumers.”
Eduardo Aldasoro, regional director of
Blendhub in America, stated: “This case
proves how Blendhub's innovation and
multi-localised production model enables
food companies to access new markets,
competing as a local player in a pay-per
-use model, without need for Capex
investment.”
After this launch, both companies have
expanded their collaboration and Blendhub
is already working to support Isagenix
in other markets through its network of
food-as-a-service hubs on four continents,
with the possibility of deploying a new hub
in the US to support Isagenix's innovation
strategy and growth in North America. ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2022