Nutrileads, Nizo food research and Friesland Campina win EFRO grant

June 7th, 2017, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

NUTRILEADS B.V., a Dutch Nutrition & Health startup, together with NIZO food research (consortium leader) and Friesland Campina, has been awarded a €3,7 million EFRO project called CHALLENGE. The aims of the project are to develop new food ingredients that will support resistance to infections, as well as affordable and predictive research models in humans (Human Challenge Models).

NutriLeads develops supportive nutritional ingredients for application in dietary supplements, medical food and functional food products intended for specific target populations seeking to support their health. Its lead ingredient aims to support immune function and increase resistance to common infectious diseases such as colds and flu.

Ruud Albers, CEO of Nutrileads, has always been a strong believer and long-time advocate of the Human Challenge Model concept, in which the response of human volunteers to physiological challenges is assessed. According to Albers, the CHALLENGE consortium is a logical next step in substantiating the immune supportive effect of Nutrileads’ lead ingredient, a novel Immune Modulating Plant Polysaccharide.

Alwine Kardinaal, project leader and working at NIZO, says “the combined research power of the companies involved is quite unique and will enable us to take the next step in predicting health benefits with the use of Human Challenge Studies”.

The CHALLENGE project will be co-financed by the European Union and EFRO OP-Oost.