BASF acquires Equateq
Adding to its portfolio of omega-3 products for pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements
BASF has acquired Equateq, a manufacturer of highly concentrated omega-3 fatty acids, for an undisclosed sum, extending its portfolio of omega-3 products for the pharmaceutical and dietary supplement industries.
Equateq has a production site on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland with 47 employees. The firm and its employees will be integrated into BASF’s Pharma Ingredients & Services unit.
The German firm says the integration should be completed by the end of the year.
‘Equateq’s technologies will enable us to customise fatty acid concentrates with variable ratios of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) at concentration levels of up to 99% purity. This is unique in the market,’ said Martin Widmann, senior vice president, Pharma Ingredients & Services at BASF.
Adam Kelliher, former owner and founder of Equateq, added: ‘Bringing together the two companies allows us to combine the global market reach and the long-time experience of BASF with the unique technologies of Equateq.’
In nutritional applications, especially dietary supplements, relevant essential fatty acids serve specific health conditions – for example eye, brain, or heart health. In pharmaceutical products, highly concentrated omega-3 fatty acids are used to treat cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction.
BASF says highly concentrated omega-3 fatty acids are a global growing market and increasing consumer awareness of the health benefits of omega-3 will see double-digit growth in the years to come.
At the end of 2011, BASF Plant Science announced an agreement with Cargill to co-develop a new dietary source of EPA/DHA omega-3 fatty acid, which will be available by the end of the decade.
A next-generation canola oil containing EPA/DHA will also enable food, pharmaceutical and nutritional supplement manufacturers to deliver the potential benefits of omega-3 fatty acids into a wider variety of consumer products.