FREDERICTON, New Brunswick, April 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It was a novel idea for a vital ingredient to preserve food products without artificial means that brought Natasha Dhayagude and David Brown together to start Chinova Bioworks five years ago with their natural fiber extract derived from the stems of white button mushrooms that they named Chiber. Today, the company is rapidly expanding their manufacturing to increase capacity and meet demands for the proprietary, natural preservative, clean-label mushroom extract ingredient. The move to a larger and newly built 20,000-square-foot Bioscience Manufacturing Incubator space and a new 6,000-square-foot building for expanded office and research and development lab, will allow Chinova Bioworks to stay ahead of the ever-increasing demand from companies that require the highest standards when it comes to clean-label ingredients.
Dhayagude and Brown met at an entrepreneurship accelerator and incubator center in New Brunswick and found a common interest in the science of mushrooms, reducing food waste and sustainable solutions for clean-label ingredients. They launched Chinova Bioworks on April 21, 2016, with their Chiber product that provides a solution throughout the food supply chain. By collecting mushroom stems from farmers, which would otherwise be wasted, and upcycling them into a commercially viable product, they have been able to work with companies to provide them with a food protection solution that allows them to reduce food waste, save costs and extend the shelf life for a fresher, cleaner product.
“Consumers are demanding transparency when it comes to the ingredients in their food and beverage products. They want natural, healthy, sustainable ingredients that have a purpose,” said Dhayagude. “Because of this increased awareness and scrutiny, ingredient producers and brands are under pressure to reformulate and keep up. Companies that we work with are very aware that they need a replacement for artificial ingredients to preserve product quality, freshness and shelf life. Chiber is the first natural preservative that companies can customize to their products, which for them, has been revolutionary.”
In just five years, Dhayagude and Brown have succeeded in getting Chiber through regulatory approvals in North America and 70 other jurisdictions, launched three Chiber products in the market with additional products in the queue this year, raised significant revenue, worked with innovative plant-based brands and secured patents around its core technology, which gives Chiber a unique position in the marketplace. Chiber is consistent, whereas other mushroom extracts are not.
And now with the support from Prince Edward Island BioAlliance and the move to Bioscience Manufacturing Incubator, Chinova Bioworks’ manufacturing abilities will be unmatched.
“This expansion is going to allow us to ensure that we can keep ahead of the incredible growth in demand we’ve been seeing from our current customers, and build capacity to be able to service additional food and beverage products,” said Brown. “We’ve demonstrated over the last three years that we can manufacture this ingredient to the highest quality standards in the industry, by achieving the highest grades and certifications for food quality. This growth in capacity will further our excellence in quality manufacturing.”
Dhayagude and Brown say the pandemic has only accelerated the need for Chiber. Consumers have had more time to consider and voice their concerns over ingredient labels as the demand for food safety and cleaner products remain front and center. In the next five years, they see Chiber becoming established as a mainstay in the industry. To learn about Chiber products visit: www.chinovabioworks.com.
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