“We expect this segment to continue to expand, driven by consumer, food service and retail demands,” Hamish Irving, global marketing director, at the IFF business unit, told us.
He was commenting following the company’s announcement at the IPPE trade show in Atlanta this week that its betaine product, Betafin BT, had gained OMRI listing for use in certified US organic production.
Betafin is already authorized for use in organic feed production in Europe, so the endorsement from the OMRI will now provide the same authorization for the US market.
The US Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) has a rigorous review process for ensuring that products meet the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic standards.
Describing the steps involved in securing the OMRI listing, Irving said that after verifying that the ingredients were acceptable to OMRI and validating that the product was eligible for OMRI listing, the company submitted a detailed application including complete description of the manufacturing process, product formulation, safety data sheets, and other key documents.
“The application was then reviewed by OMRI before they determined that Betafin BT was ready to be listed in the OMRI Generic Materials List."
Heat stress
In terms of the kind of EU organic market penetration Betafin BT has seen to date, Irving remarked: “Organic production in Europe is growing on an annual basis. Betafin BT plays a role in maintaining gut integrity and health during times of osmotic challenges, for example, heat stress. The use of natural betaine in countries like France, Germany, Spain or the Netherlands, the main markets in Europe for organic production, is consider an efficient mechanism for optimizing animal performance.”
He said the use of Betafin BT in organic layer production is well established in commercial operations. “Its benefits in maintaining water balance in the laying hen are well documented. Additionally, Betafin BT is also widely used in feed for dairy cows, where it has been shown to improve milk yields.”
