January 10, 2012 (Carthage, MO USA) - ESM Technologies, the leading supplier of innovative, commercialized eggshell and eggshell membrane wellness ingredients, is excited to announce the publication of a safety manuscript for their flagship ingredient NEM®. The manuscript entitled “Safety evaluation of a natural eggshell membrane-derived product” has been published online ahead of print in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2011.12.036). This research evaluated NEM’s safety via multiple in vitro and in vivo toxicological studies.
The NEM® (Natural Eggshell Membrane) safety and toxicology studies were conducted by a variety of independent research labs. NEM® was evaluated for cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and oral toxicity (both single acute dose and 90-day repeated-dose) at doses up to fifty times the clinically tested human equivalent dose. NEM® did not show any signs of toxicity in any of the areas that were evaluated. These results demonstrate that NEM® is extremely safe for human consumption at the standard daily dose of 500mg per day. “Although a food-based product such as eggshell membrane would be expected to be inherently safe, we wanted to demonstrate that elevated levels of NEM® could be consumed with complete confidence.” says Kevin J. Ruff, Ph.D., MBA, ESM Technologies’ Director of Scientific & Regulatory Affairs.
This safety evaluation formed the basis for an independent expert panel to deem NEM® Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS), allowing NEM® to expand into the food and beverage industry. There are numerous food and beverage categories for which NEM® is approved for use; a few include beverages and beverage bases, fruit and vegetable juices, baked goods, soft candy and snack foods. The Allowable Daily Intake (ADI) for NEM® is up to 14 grams per day for food use and intake.
NEM® contains naturally occurring glycosaminoglycans and proteins essential for maintaining healthy joint and connective tissues. Previous published clinical research on NEM® showed an improvement in joint comfort and flexibility in just 7 to 10 days with only 500mg per day. Dr. Ruff states, “It is therefore important to demonstrate to the public the safety of this product for use in either dietary supplements or food products that are expected to be consumed on a continuing basis.”
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About ESM Technologies
ESM Technologies, the leading supplier of eggshell calcium and eggshell membrane wellness ingredients, is the recipient of the 2011 North American Dietary Supplements for Joint Health New Product Innovation of the Year Award for their NEM® (Natural Eggshell Membrane). Located in Carthage, Missouri, the company researches, develops and manufactures high-quality branded ingredients from a traceable and sustainable supply of USDA-inspected facilities. ESM, an NSF GMP certified facility, uses a chemical-free, patented process that allows the introduction of innovative and unique ingredients to the marketplace: NEM® (Natural Eggshell Membrane) and ESC® (EggShell Calcium).