Jul 8, 2022
BALTIMORE, MD, July 8, 2022 - Natáur today announced it has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant funded by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to produce a cost-competitive, non-petroleum-based source of taurine. This product addresses the USDA NIFA goal to contribute to the nation's energy independence through sustainable production of bio-based products.
Taurine is an essential nutrient, needed for cardiovascular, skeletal muscle, vision, and nervous system function. It is naturally occurring in meat and other animal products, but not in plants. As we shift to more plant-based diets, taurine must be added as an ingredient or taken as a supplement to ensure good health.
"Today, nearly all supplemental taurine is produced from a petroleum-based process that uses carcinogenic and hazardous compounds", states Frank Turano, Natáur's Chief Research Officer. "Our proprietary technology uses safe microbes as factories to produce taurine from a simple sugar and natural compounds."
Natáur's CEO, Kathleen Turano, adds, "We are pleased to receive the USDA's competitive SBIR grant. This grant will help us to develop new and improved technologies to increase taurine production and lower its cost making it an attractive ingredient to enhance the nutritional value of food and feed products, including alternative protein products."
About Natáur
At Natáur, we believe that healthy products should be produced in healthy ways. Natáur LLC is a privately held company that produces a non-petroleum-based source of taurine with renewable resources by fermentation for manufacturers to make safer and more sustainable products. Taurine is an essential nutrient for humans and animals and used in everyday products, including infant formula, pet food, animal feed, energy drinks, nutrition supplements, and personal-care products. Natáur is located in Baltimore, Maryland.
Company Contact:
Kathleen Turano, CEO
Natáur LLC
E-Mail: kturano@nataur.com