Arcadia Biosciences announces European Food Ingredient Platform that further enhances its GoodWheat business
Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. has announced it has acquired, through Arcadia SPA, S.L., the assets of Agrasys S.A, a food ingredients company based in Barcelona, Spain. The transaction includes the physical and intellectual property assets to enable Arcadia to commercialize Tritordeum, a proprietary cereal grain that was developed at the Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible – Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, (IAS-CSIC) the largest public institution dedicated to agricultural research in Spain, and subsequently licensed exclusively to Agrasys for commercialization.
Tritordeum is a combination of durum wheat and wild barley, resulting in a nutritious grain that is high in fiber, protein and lutein. Lutein is a carotenoid with anti-inflammatory properties that is known to improve or even prevent age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness and vision impairment. Tritordeum is highly functional in a wide range of cereal-based applications such as bread, crackers, pasta, baked snacks and beer. As a crop, Tritordeum is a robust and sustainable cereal that is water-efficient with good disease and pest resistance and broad environmental adaptability. Finished products made with Tritordeum have a unique golden color and a slightly sweet, buttery taste.