TekCapital Regulatory News (TEK)

Dissemination of a Regulatory Announcement that contains inside information according to REGULATION (EU) No 596/2014 (MAR)

Tekcapital plc

("Tekcapital" or "the Company")

Successful Production and Independent Testing of µSaltTM

Tekcapital plc (AIM: TEK), an international provider of technology and intellectual property services, announces a successful test-production and independent taste testing of µSaltTM, its proprietary, low-sodium salt product.

Successful Taste Tests

Tekcapital has manufactured test quantities of µSaltTM in a current Good Manufacturing Practice ("cGMP") facility regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Test quantities of µSaltTM were then supplied to several organisations for independent testing and evaluation. The results of the study indicate that a taste test of traditional potato chips versus those salted with µSaltTM, with approximately 40% less sodium than traditional potato chips, yielded no statistically significant difference in perceived salt flavour.

Technology Background

In 2016, Tekcapital announced that it 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.

Regular 'table 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 tend to provide low-intensity and long-lasting spotty salty tastes. The µSaltTM technology aims to deliver an improved dissolution, providing an equally salty taste as table salt with lower salt concentrations.

This innovative 'microsalt' does not contain substitutes like calcium, potassium or magnesium salts, which can impart the bitter taste that is typical of many existing low-sodium salt products. Furthermore, these nano particles dissolve faster and are tasted 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.

Key features of a commercialised version of this salt preparation would include, but may not be limited to, co-blending with spices, flavours, colours and flow agents and increasing salt dispersion while enhancing salt sensation in the mouth.

Market Potential

According to market research firm IBISWorld Inc., sales of table salt in the United States in 2013 were approximately $598.7 million1. Based on the recently completed results from an independent university test, the Directors believe that its µSaltTM low-sodium technology could enable food companies to empower consumers to reduce sodium content in topical food applications without sacrificing taste. Furthermore, the Directors believe that this will be helpful in enabling individuals to seek to reduce their sodium consumption to less than or equal to 2,300 mg per day, as recommended in the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans2.

Commenting on the announcement, Clifford M. Gross, Ph.D., Executive Chairman of Tekcapital plc, said:

"We are excited to report that we have produced and tested our natural µSaltTM product and have found that it provides a level of taste similar to traditional salt, but with approximately 40% less sodium. If widely adopted, we believe that the potential positive impact to improving the health of consumers could be significant. We are currently in discussions with a number of leading companies regarding commercialisation of this exciting new product and we will update the market in due course."

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Notes

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1. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/8/prweb11061887.htm 

2. http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/ucm494732.htm#ftn9

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 4,500+ 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