12th May 2010

As the health benefits of vitamin K2 become more widely recognised, visitors to Vitafoods, Geneva 18th – 20th May are being offered individual ten-minute briefings on its vital role in bone and heart health. Dr Steve Minter, Chief Technical Officer at eminate Limited, producers of VitaNat Natural Natto Vitamin K2, will be on hand to offer expert advice and information.

Vitamin K is a co-factor in a number of biochemical pathways, most importantly activating blood clotting factors and osteocalcin, the protein responsible for organising deposition of calcium in bones. The importance of vitamin K as a dietary supplement is gaining increasing scientific support. EFSA recently permitted health claims linking vitamin K to normal blood coagulation and maintenance of normal bone. Also emerging is the superior bio-availability of vitamin K2 (menaquinone), which is present in fermented products, compared to vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) found in leafy green vegetables.

Dr Minter comments: “The richest natural source of vitamin K2 is natto. This has been eaten in Japan for centuries where the equivalent of 4.7 billion portions is consumed each year. Western diets are not so rich in vitamin K2 and natto is an acquired taste, so we have invested in producing natto in a format that suits the western palate. Now we have the health benefits of natto, the vitamin K2 superfood, in a supplement”.

VitaNat Natural Natto vitamin K2 is the only health food supplement made with whole naturally fermented natto, making the vitamin K2 benefits of natto available in a convenient format. Suppliers looking to extend their product range will benefit from Dr Minter’s expert guidance and should book a session at Stand 531 in advance by emailing tim.bollans@eminate.co.uk.

ENDS

Contact: Terry Young, Division Manager – VitaNat, eminate Limited, BioCity, Pennyfoot Street, Nottingham, NG1 1GF, England. Tel: +44 115 912 4370. email terry.young@eminate.co.uk

eminate Limited

eminate Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Nottingham set up to provide industry with innovative solutions to real market needs in health and well-being. VitaNat Natural Natto Vitamin K2 is one of a range of health solutions from eminate that also includes Soda-Lo, an important and innovative ingredient helping the food industry meet Government guidelines on the reduced salt content of foods.
www.eminate.co.uk

VitaNat
VitaNat Natural Natto Vitamin K2 is manufactured in Nottingham, England, in a purpose-built factory operating to GMP and BRC standards. It can be supplied as capsules or as bulk powder.
www.vitanat.co.uk

Dr Steve Minter

Dr Stephen Minter has a proven track record of invention and fund-raising for technology companies in the biotechnology field. He has filed some 70 patents over the last 15 years. He is the founder of Tepnel Life Sciences and took the company onto the Unlisted Securities Market with the initial invention. A second invention allowed Tepnel to float on the London Stock Exchange, at which time, the company had a market cap in excess of £80m. He continues to focus on technology and technology transfer. He continues to set up companies and also advises start-up companies on strategy and the implementation of IP policies. He has also advised international companies on fund raising and development strategies. Within newly set up companies he maintains a role as Chief Technical Officer and executive director with the role of directing the development of product(s) and technologies. He concentrates on reducing technology to commercial practice and is a market leader in the diagnostics field.