Haskap Berries
A professor at Dalhousie University is developing scaleable, eco-friendly processes to extract nutrients from haskap berries.
The haskap berry is not yet a common berry on supermarket shelves, or even on many farms, but it is considered a superfood superstar by scientists. For that reason, Dr. Vasantha Rupasinghe has partnered with Schwabe Group and Nature’s Way Canada to find new ways to create Haskap extracts.
“We have been investigating this small berry for the last 10 years, and discovering the unique composition of the berry is providing outstanding results in our pre-clinical investigation,” says Rupasinghe.
In this new investigation, the Phyto Innovation Challenge is funding a 28-month-long project to develop the required tools for the industry to commercialize haskap bioactives as natural health products or phytomedicines. Haskap is traditionally used in folk medicine in northern Russia, China and Japan, as the edible berries of Lonicera caerulea L (also known as blue honeysuckle), are rich in dietary antioxidants and possess a range of health benefits.
Haskap production in Canada has expanded exponentially in the last decade as a superfood, due to new varieties being developed, and increasing scientific evidence for its use in the prevention and treatment of various metabolic diseases.
“We see this partnership as a great example of what is possible for our industry in Nova Scotia,” says Dan Hughes, vice-president of sales and marketing and general manager of Nature’s Way Canada.
“We have great academic partners such as Dr. Rupasinghe at Dalhousie, a very promising local crop that has exciting potential health benefits, and a business environment that supports growth for companies like Nature’s Way. This is a meaningful investment in R&D for Nature’s Way Canada and we look forward to supporting Dr. Rupasinghe’s work on this project.”
This is the first time the Phyto Innovation Challenge has been granted to a North American recipient.