Burcon granted two U.S. patents

24/02/06 Burcon NutraScience Corporation has been granted a U.S. patent for a major component of its protein extraction and purification technology. United States Patent Number 6,992,173 B2 - "Protein Extraction from Canola Oil Seed Meal" - covers an improved process for the recovery of protein from canola oil seed meal and other oil seed meals. Both the amount and quality of protein isolate are improved through processing modifications to the input oilseed meal instead of the use of conventional meal.

Burcon has also been granted a U.S. patent over the functional attributes of blends of its canola protein isolates Puratein and Supertein. United States Patent Number 7,001,990 - "Canola Protein Isolate Functionality II" - covers a protein isolate, obtained from canola oil seed meal, as a functional comp onent in food compositions. One example is the use of these isolates as an emulsifying agent in salad dressings.

Including its two existing U.S. patents, Burcon now holds a total of four granted U.S. patents over canola protein processing technology and canola protein isolate product uses.

Burcon has filed for patent applications for nineteen additional inventions. The applications, which are currently being reviewed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, can be broadly grouped into three areas. Firstly, patent applications have been made over further novel processing steps for the extraction and purification of proteins from oilseed meals including canola meal. Secondly, Burcon has filed for patents over the uses of Puratein and Supertein, for example as functional food ingredients. Lastly, Burcon has filed for patents over the "signature characteristics" of its products including its canola proteins Puratein and Supertein.

In addition to the U.S. patent applications, Burcon has filed applications for most of its inventions internationally under the Patent Cooperation Treaty of the World Intellectual Property Organization in some 35 countries including the European Union, Japan, China, India, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

"Over the past six years, our team has invested a tremendous amount of resources, both financial and human, into the development of numerous innovations that strengthen our protein extraction technology," stated Johann F. Tergesen, Burcon's President & COO who added, "The proteins we are now able to produce have the potential to open up some exciting large-market food and beverage applications and our intellectual property portfolio will be the key to protecting that commercial opportunity. Intellectual property is our principal asset and as such we will continue to pursue additional patents vigorously."

In September 2003 Burcon entered into a license and development agreement with Archer Daniels Midland ("ADM"). Under the terms of the agreement, ADM can commercially exploit Burcon's intellectual property for the extraction and purification of canola protein isolates - Puratein and Supertein - in all geographic regions and for all uses. The two additional U.S. patents now granted as announced above were specifically referenced in the September 2003 license and development agreement.