CreAgri, Inc.

Recognizing a need in the market for food and beverage products that offer more than mere sustenance, CreAgri, Inc., a key supplier of antioxidant polyphenols from the pulp of certified organic olives, offers wellness in the form of Hidrox, a raw material available for use in functional foods and beverages. Packed with a powerhouse of antioxidants, Hidrox provides today’s health-conscious consumers with the nutritional benefits they demand. Found in the pulp of olives, Hidrox is CreAgri’s patented formulation of hydroxytyrosol, one of the most powerful natural antioxidant polyphenols. Made from the juice of the olive, not the oil, hydroxytyrosol has the highest free radical scavenging capacity of any antioxidant yet discovered. In fact, the polyphenols that make olive oil so healthy are present in olive juice at a level up to 300 times the amount found in olive oil. On the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) scale, which measures the potency of compounds in protecting against free radicals, hydroxytyrosol has a value of 27,000 – more than double that of quercetin, and more than triple those of both grape skin extract and epicatechin from green tea. The authors of one study, published in 2002 in the British Journal of Nutrition, concluded that “hydroxytyrosol is the only significant antioxidant phenolic in olive oil and may be the major component accounting for its beneficial properties.”Adding as little as 6 ounces of Hidrox to foods and beverages brings all the power of hydroxytyrosol’s benefits. Studies on the antioxidants found in olive polyphenols from olive water, including hydroxytyrosol, have been the subject of numerous in vitro, in vivo and human clinical studies pointing toward their benefits in many different areas, including:

• Prevention of atherosclerosis, through protection of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol from lipid peroxidation.
  
  
• Promotion of intestinal and respiratory health, through anti-bacterial activity.
  
  
• Prevention of cancer, through a potent inhibitory effect on free radicals associated with  colon and breast pathologies.
  
  
• Protection of vital tissues from second-hand smoke, as hydroxytyrosol reduces the consequences of smoke-induced oxidative stress.

Realizing the potential of olive water as a unique natural antioxidant-rich juice, Dr. Roberto Crea, founder and chief scientist of CreAgri, Inc., developed a proprietary process called Integrale, to harness the power of hydroxytyrosol. Protected by three U.S. patents, the process removes the pits from the pulp of the olives and integrates the polyphenolic-rich olive water with citric acid. This protects against air oxidation and microbial contamination and triggers the release of the hydroxytyrosol from its precursor oleuropein and other large molecules. The resulting liquid is dried down and formulated as Hidrox and is available as a powder in 2%, 6% and 10% formulations.Recently, Hidrox achieved GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status, opening the doors for Hidrox to be used in food, functional foods and beverages. The independent evaluation was performed by the Burdock Group, the nation’s leading toxicology specialists in evaluating the safety of food and beverage ingredients. According to George A. Burdock, Ph.D., president of the Burdock Group, "The research involving Hidrox has shown it is safe for human consumption when used as an antimicrobial agent or antioxidant agent in foods. The panel concluded Hidrox is GRAS at levels up to 500 ppm in baked goods and baking mixes, breakfast cereals and bars, snack bars, processed fruits and juices, non-alcoholic beverages and gravies and sauces.”Hidrox's antioxidant and free-radical scavenging abilities far exceed any previously known. It is also absorbed, distributed and metabolized extremely well by the body. According to Dr. Crea, “Because Hidrox contains many health benefits and is completely non-toxic, it is the perfect functional ingredient that food and beverage companies can add into their products to provide today’s health-conscious consumers with the nutritional values they demand.”