Artificial Sweetener Traces in Water May Hurt Consumer Acceptance

Through the use of a new analytical method, the researchers were able to look for seven different artificial sweeteners simultaneously, and show, for the first time, that a number of commonly used artificial sweeteners are present in German waste and surface water.

19/06/09 Sewage treatment plants fail to remove artificial sweeteners completely from waste water. What's more, these pollutants contaminate waters downstream and may still be present in our drinking water. Thanks to their new robust analytical method, which simultaneously extracts and analyses seven commonly used artificial sweeteners, Marco Scheurer, Heinz-Jürgen Brauch and Frank Thomas Lange from the Water Technology Center in Karlsruhe, Germany, were able to demonstrate the presence of several artificial sweeteners in waste water. Their findings are published online this week in Springer's journal Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry.

A range of artificial sweeteners are commonly used in food and drinks, as well as drugs and sanitary products. The potential health risks of artificial sweeteners have been debated for some time. Until now, only sucralose has been detected in aquatic environments. Through the use of a new analytical method, the researchers were able to look for seven different artificial sweeteners (cyclamate, acesulfame, saccharin, aspartame, neotame, neohesperidin dihydrochalcone and sucralose) simultaneously, and show, for the first time, that a number of commonly used artificial sweeteners are present in German waste and surface water.

Scheurer and colleagues collected water samples from two sewage treatment plants in Germany - Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen and Karlsruhe - as well as from a soil aquifer treatment site located in a Mediterranean country that treats secondary effluent from a sewage treatment plant.

They tested the water samples using their new analytical method and detected four (acesulfame, saccharin, cyclamate, and sucralose) of seven artificial sweeteners in the waters from the two German sewage treatment plants, indicating incomplete elimination during waste water treatment. Their analyses also showed that these pollutants contaminate rivers and streams receiving water from the sewage treatment plants.

The authors then compared the conventional waste water treatment by sewage treatment plants with advanced waste water treatment by soil aquifer treatment. Traces of artificial sweeteners were present in both cases, proof that water purification was incomplete.

Marco Scheurer concludes: "Due to the use of artificial sweeteners as food additives, the occurrence of artificial sweetener traces in the aquatic environment might become a primary issue for consumer acceptance."

Burcon NutraScience Corporation has announced that it has completed its previously announced financing led by Paradigm Capital Inc., and including BMO Capital Markets and Haywood Securities Inc. (collectively, the “Agents”). The Corporation issued an aggregate of 2,942,950 common shares (including 333,950 common shares pursuant to the partial exercise of the Agents’ over-allotment option) at a price of $5.75 per share for gross proceeds of approximately $16.9 million (the “Offering”). In addition, Burcon’s common shares will now be listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX”).

The net proceeds of the Offering will be used for continued research and development of Burcon’s soy protein isolate extraction and purification technology (CLARISOY), further refining of Burcon’s canola protein isolate extraction and purification technology (Puratein and Supertein), filing new patent applications and expanding Burcon’s intellectual property portfolio, and for general working capital purposes, all as more particularly set out in Burcon’s final prospectus dated June 10, 2009.

“We are pleased with the strong response from our new institutional shareholders, particularly at a time when access to capital remains difficult. The completion of this financing serves as a validation of the potential of our products and technologies,” said Johann F. Tergesen, President and Chief Operating Officer, adding, “This financing greatly strengthens Burcon's balance sheet, providing important flexibility to entertain a broad range of potential strategic alliances arising from our recently announced soy protein isolate technology and CLARISOY.”

The Agents received a commission equal to 6% of the gross proceeds of the Offering and compensation options entitling the Agents to purchase up to 117,718 common shares (equal to 4% of the common shares sold pursuant to the Offering). Each compensation option is exercisable to acquire one common share of the Corporation at an exercise price of $5.75 per share at any time before and including December 18, 2010.

On June 1, 2009, the TSX conditionally approved the Corporation's application for listing its common shares on the TSX. Listing of the Corporation’s common shares was subject to fulfilling all of the listing requirements of the TSX by August 28, 2009, including raising gross proceeds of $10 million. With the closing of today’s financing those requirements have now been met. The common shares of the Corporation have now been listed and posted for trading on the TSX under the symbol “BU”.

Since 1999, Burcon has developed a portfolio of composition, application, and process patents originating from our core protein extraction and purification technology. We are developing the world's first commercial canola proteins, Puratein and Supertein with unique functional and nutritional attributes, and Clarisoy, a revolutionary soy protein isolate which is 100% soluble and completely transparent in acidic solutions. Our team of highly specialized scientists and engineers work from our own research facility to develop and optimize environmentally sound technologies. To-date, our patent portfolio consists of 84 issued patents in various countries, including 8 issued U.S. patents, and well in excess of 200 additional pending patent applications, 55 of which are U.S. patent applications.