NEW TECH FOODS

Biotech start-up Novella Innovative Technology has launched Novella Strawberry, a new nutraceutical ingredient developed from whole strawberry cells using the company’s proprietary AuraCell cultivation platform.

The patent-pending product, which will debut at SupplySide West 2025 in Las Vegas, is positioned as the first in Novella’s line of fruit-cell bioactive complexes. Unlike conventional strawberry extracts, which isolate a limited set of compounds, Novella Strawberry preserves the fruit’s full cellular matrix, delivering a broad spectrum of phytochemicals including anthocyanins, ellagic acid, phenolic acids, terpenoids and alkaloids.

According to the company, its technology cultivates intact strawberry cells in a closed, controlled environment, eliminating the need for agricultural production. Novella says the process reduces resource use by 99% compared with field cultivation, while ensuring consistent yields and avoiding pesticide use.

Human-cell assays carried out by Novella indicate that the ingredient delivers antioxidant activity up to 100 times stronger than conventional strawberry extracts, due to its higher stability and preserved cellular structure. The enhanced potency, the company claims, allows for significantly lower dosages in supplement applications.

Shimrit Bar-El, co-founder and chief product officer for Novella, said: "We collect the high value nutrients from the strawberry at the peak of its power, grow them in a clean environment without pesticides, then amplify them. The result is a potent compound that can easily be absorbed in the body."

Itay Dana, co-founder and chief business development officer for Novella, added: "Our solution will significantly relieve the bottleneck in the nutraceutical industry's growing demand for strawberry-sourced nutrients while leaving field grown strawberries to be enjoyed as refreshing natural treats."

He continued: "Our AuraCell platform doesn't extract and doesn't need solvents. We preserve nature's full intelligence and deliver it intact. Novella Strawberry answers the consumer demand for performance and sustainability by delivering a holistic ingredient that is pure, potent and generates zero waste."

"Novella Strawberry is exactly what the next wave of dietary supplements needs. It performs powerfully on its own, but its real potential is in enhancing other products – amplifying results while reducing required daily dose. It's a perfect marriage of science and strategy, with remarkable commercial potential."

"he company highlights that its bioreactor-cultivated bioactives remain within their native plant-cell environment, offering a form of natural microencapsulation. This protects sensitive compounds during formulation, improves stability, and supports synergistic interactions with other actives.

Novella Strawberry is available as a water-dispersible powder suitable for capsules, powders, functional foods and beverages. Beyond supplements, Novella has partnered with Australia-based Metaphor Foods to incorporate its antioxidant ingredients into food preservation applications.