Under the agreement, Kellogg's will develop foods containing Martek DHA and must purchase almost all of its DHA needs from Martek for products in the United States and other designated territories.
08/02/05 Martek Biosciences Corporation has entered into a 15 year, non-exclusive docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) license and supply agreement with Kellogg's. Under this agreement, Kellogg's will develop foods containing Martek DHA and must purchase, subject to certain exceptions, almost all of its DHA needs from Martek for products in the United States and other designated territories. There are no minimum purchase requirements or other financial commitments to Martek. In products containing Martek DHA, the food company must display the Martek DHA logo on all product packages, print advertisements and certain other promotional materials.Beth Parker at Martek revealed that Kellogg's will be the first major company to fortify with DHA, although she declined to comment on further details of the agreement to FoodIngredientsFirst. While subject to final product selection, food formulation, and consumer Kellogg's intends for the initial product launch to take place in mid-2006. The launch of a DHA fortified product line will help grow consumer awareness of Martek DHA. Due to competitive concerns, the food company prefers not to disclose its name unless there is a commercial introduction of the new line of products containing Martek DHA. DHA is a long chain omega-3 fatty acid that supports brain, eye and cardiovascular health throughout life. Numerous scientific studies demonstrate that people of all ages, from infants to adults, may benefit from an adequate supply of DHA in the diet. The American Heart Association has recommended consuming omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA, for good cardiovascular health. The updated USDA and USDHHS Dietary Guidelines released this January also recognize the role of omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA, in cardiovascular health. Yet, despite its importance, natural food sources of DHA are limited primarily to fatty fish and organ meat causing Americans to have among the lowest dietary intake of DHA in the world.
