Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. has acquired, through Arcadia SPA, S.L., the assets of Agrasys S.A, a food ingredients company based in Barcelona, Spain.
The transaction includes the physical and intellectual property assets to enable Arcadia to commercialize Tritordeum, a proprietary cereal grain that was developed at the Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, (IAS-CSIC) the largest public institution dedicated to agricultural research in Spain, and subsequently licensed exclusively to Agrasys for commercialization.
Tritordeum is a combination of durum wheat and wild barley, resulting in a nutritious grain that is high in fiber, protein and lutein. Lutein is a carotenoid with anti-inflammatory properties that is known to improve or even prevent age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness and vision impairment.
Tritordeum is highly functional in a wide range of cereal-based applications such as bread, crackers, pasta, baked snacks and beer. As a crop, Tritordeum is a robust and sustainable cereal that is water-efficient with good disease and pest resistance and broad environmental adaptability. Finished products made with Tritordeum have a unique golden color and a slightly sweet, buttery taste.
"Not only do we see further growth for Tritordeum in Europe, we believe that there is untapped potential for the product in North America and other important cereal markets around the world," says Matt Plavan, CEO of Arcadia. "Additionally, the network and capabilities that the Agrasys team have built will serve as an excellent foundation for our GoodWheat products as we expand our commercial footprint."
Arcadia completed the transaction through Arcadia SPA, S.L., a newly formed company based in Spain. Key Agrasys personnel will join Arcadia SPA and will operate the Tritordeum and GoodWheat business through that entity, where the combined skill, experience and capacities of the respective teams will be leveraged across multiple channels and markets.
To learn more about Tritordeum, click here.
Arcadia Biosciences, Inc.® is a leader in science-based approaches to enhancing the quality and nutritional value of crops and food ingredients.
Agrasys, a spin-off of the IAS-CSIC (Spanish High Council for Scientific Investigations), is a company dedicated to the advancement of value-added crops and food ingredients.
