TekCapital Regulatory News (TEK)

Tekcapital plc

("Tekcapital")

Acquisition of salt reduction technology patent

Low-sodium technology aims to reduce salt by up to 50% in surface applications

Tekcapital plc (AIM: TEK), an international provider of technology and intellectual property services, announces that it has acquired US patent #8,900,650 B1 for low-sodium salt compositions, which has the potential to enable the commercialisation of a 1:1 replacement for regular salt in a variety of applications including table top, dry snacks such as chips and crisps, popcorn, cereals, and other dry surface applications that have salt in spice mixes.

Technology Background

Regular salt is not readily soluble in saliva because of its high density and large particles size. When regular salt particles are sprinkled on foods for immediate consumption or during further processing, they provide low- intensity and long-lasting spotty salty tastes. The newly acquired technology delivers an improved dissolution providing equally salty taste as a table-top salt with lower salt concentrations.

The directors of Tekcapital believe the patented technology is a novel and safe low-sodium salt solution without using salt substitutes. This innovative nano particle sodium salt does not contain substitutes like calcium, potassium or magnesium salts which can impart the bitter taste typical of most low-sodium salt products. Nano particles dissolve faster and are perceived faster by the consumer thereby allowing for the reduction of the concentration of salt in dry snacks where salt and spices are applied to the surface. The intended result of a commercialised version of this technology would be a sodium reduction of up to 50% depending on the food it is applied to.

Key features of a commercialised version of this salt preparation would include: ability to be co-blended with spices, flavours, colours and flow agents; increasing salt dispersion while enhancing salt sensation in the mouth; and stability in all topical applications while imparting increased shelf life.

Key benefits of a commercialised version of this salt preparation would include: lower sodium to improve health without sacrificing taste or flavour; helping to meet USDA (US Department of Agriculture) recommended daily allowance recommendations to reduce sodium; and the ability to customise particle size for flexibility in topical coatings.

Industry potential

Food companies are reviewing their global portfolios to reduce sodium in their products. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently proposed guidelines to reduce sodium consumption by over 30% in the next 10 years.1 According to experts, on average an adult consumes almost 50% more sodium than recommended. Excess sodium could raise blood pressure and is a leading risk factor linked to cardiovascular disease. According to Reuters, roughly 70% of the salt found in diets originate from prepared and processed food, like snack foods and cereals.2 The FDA has established proposed targets for approximately 150 food product categories that the agency said contribute meaningfully to the amount of sodium in the diet.3

Recently, Mars Food has stated that it aims to reduce sodium in its products by 20% in the next five years and Nestlé S.A. voiced its support for the FDA's sodium reduction efforts.4

Tekcapital has acquired this patent in order to seek, with industry partners, to commercialise the technology. Over the next few weeks Tekcapital will be conducting a taste test of this new product for a leading global food company.

Commenting on the patent acquisition, Dr. Clifford M. Gross, Executive Chairman of Tekcapital,

said: "We are excited to have acquired the patent to this novel technology aimed at reducing salt intake in snack foods consumers enjoy without sacrificing the salty taste."

For further information, please contact:

Tekcapital plc - The World's Largest University Network for Open Innovation

Tekcapital helps clients profit from new, university-developed intellectual properties. With our proprietary discovery search engine, linked to 4,000+ universities in 160 countries, coupled with expert scientific review, we provide a turn-key service to make it easy for clients to find and acquire the IP, analytics and technology transfer professionals they need to create a competitive advantage. Tekcapital plc is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange (AIM: symbol TEK) and is headquartered in Oxford, in the UK. For more information, please visit www.tekcapital.com

Cited References

1. https://next.ft.com/content/91bd78b2-280c-11e6-8b18-91555f2f4fde

2. http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/41251/20160603/new-guidelines-aim-reduce-salt-packaged-food-restaurants.htm

3. http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/-/media/ImagesNew/FoodBusinessNews/Features-2016/6/FDASodiumReduction2_NEW.jpg?la=en

4. http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/news_home/Regulatory_News/2016/06/FDA_issues_sodium_reduction_gu.aspx?ID=%7B136739EA-B31F-4AAC-BCFC-E5024D07213A%7D