Nasdaq: NEPT TSX: NEPT | |
Industry | Packaged Goods |
Headquarters | Quebec, Canada |
Key people | Michael Cammarata CEO |
Website | neptunecorp |
Neptune Wellness Solutions, Inc. is a diversified wellness company that provides nutraceuticals, organic food and beverages, and consumer packaged goods to retail and business customers. [1] Originally known for Antarctic krill oil production, [2] the company previously operated an industrial-scale licensed cannabis processing plant in Quebec, CA, [3] and a hemp processing facility in North Carolina in the U.S. until selling the cannabis business in 2022. [4]
Neptune Wellness Solutions (originally Neptune Technologies and Bioresources) [5] was founded by Henri Harland and Luc Rainville in 1998. [6] The Canadian biotech company conducted some of the first research on the health benefits of krill oil and the unique, absorption capacity of its “phospholipid” molecular structure and the fats contained within it. [7] [8] [9] [10] Neptune secured a family of patents - for an extraction process as well as composition and method of use. [10] [11] [12]
In 2002, the company pioneered the production and extraction of Antarctic krill oil. [7] In 2003, after constructing a new facility in Sherbrooke, Quebec, [13] Neptune launched its first product, Neptune Krill Oil, creating a new omega-3 category, manufactured using acetone as a solvent. [7]
In 2012, an explosion in Neptune's processing plant resulted in three deaths and halted production at the facility. [14] Following the accident, the company spent two years rebuilding the plant and was required to meet several safety conditions before resuming production in 2014.
In January 2016 Neptune expanded its nutrition products offering via the acquisition of privately held dietary supplement solution provider BioDroga. [15]
In 2017, Neptune essentially exited the bulk krill oil manufacturing and distribution business, selling its client list to its main competitor, Aker BioMarine of Oslo, Norway, for $34 million. [16] The company invested to convert its Sherbrooke facility to process cannabis biomass using new cold-ethanol technology [17] and rebranded to Neptune Wellness Solutions. [18] [19]
In 2019 and following a significant transformation of the company via acquisition, divestment, and new business innovation Neptune was recognized for the first time by the Toronto Stock Exchange as a top 30 performing company for the three-year period prior to June 2019 (#8).
In July 2019, Jim Hamilton, CEO since 2015 stepped down at which time his successor Michael Cammarata, the former CEO of Schmidt's Naturals. [20] was appointed as Neptune's CEO.
In 2021 Neptune announced the acquisition of a controlling interest in Sprout Foods. [21]
Neptune was licensed by Health Canada in January 2019 to enter the cannabis market, allowing the company to manufacture and purify cannabis extracts and oil. [22] After receiving the license, the company entered into a three-year contract with Canadian companies The Green Organic Dutchman and Tilray, securing cannabis and hemp biomass for extraction of crude resin, winterized oil, and distillate extracts for their products. [23] [24] In May 2019, Neptune entered the U.S. hemp market by acquiring the assets of SugarLeaf Labs and Forest Remedies. [25] The purchase included a 24,000-square-foot cold-ethanol hemp processing facility, located in Conover, NC. [26]
Made from Antarctic krill, a sustainable and non-genetically modified source of omega-3 fatty acids, Neptune's krill-based supplements are available to consumers in the U.S. and Canada for direct purchase or through its distributors. [19]
Neptune produces hemp-derived products exclusively from U.S.-grown hemp. The company is involved in all aspects of product production, including farmer collaboration during the growth cycle to processing, formulating, testing, packaging, and distributing finished products to customers. Its products include ingestibles and topical products and are safe for both humans and pets. [27]
At its Canadian facility, Neptune extracts, purifies, and formulates cannabis oil for the Canadian and global medical cannabis communities.
Neptune began distributing U.S.-made, alcohol-based hand sanitizers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. [28]
In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, from 4 to 28. Fatty acids are a major component of the lipids in some species such as microalgae but in some other organisms are not found in their standalone form, but instead exist as three main classes of esters: triglycerides, phospholipids, and cholesteryl esters. In any of these forms, fatty acids are both important dietary sources of fuel for animals and important structural components for cells.
In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food.
Omega−3 fatty acids, also called Omega−3 oils, ω−3 fatty acids or n−3 fatty acids, are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) characterized by the presence of a double bond, three atoms away from the terminal methyl group in their chemical structure. They are widely distributed in nature, being important constituents of animal lipid metabolism, and they play an important role in the human diet and in human physiology. The three types of omega−3 fatty acids involved in human physiology are α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). ALA can be found in plants, while DHA and EPA are found in algae and fish. Marine algae and phytoplankton are primary sources of omega−3 fatty acids. DHA and EPA accumulate in fish that eat these algae. Common sources of plant oils containing ALA include walnuts, edible seeds, and flaxseeds as well as hempseed oil, while sources of EPA and DHA include fish and fish oils, and algae oil.
Phospholipids are a class of lipids whose molecule has a hydrophilic "head" containing a phosphate group and two hydrophobic "tails" derived from fatty acids, joined by an alcohol residue. Marine phospholipids typically have omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA integrated as part of the phospholipid molecule. The phosphate group can be modified with simple organic molecules such as choline, ethanolamine or serine.
Hemp oil is oil obtained by pressing hemp seeds. Cold pressed, unrefined hemp oil is dark to clear light green in color, with a nutty flavor. The darker the color, the grassier the flavour. It should not be confused with hash oil, a tetrahydrocannabinol-containing oil made from the Cannabis flower.
Krill oil is an extract prepared from a species of Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba. Processed krill oil is commonly sold as a dietary supplement. Two components of krill oil are omega-3 fatty acids similar to those in fish oil, and phospholipid-derived fatty acids (PLFA), mainly phosphatidylcholine.
Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a botanical class of Cannabis sativa cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants on Earth. It was also one of the first plants to be spun into usable fiber 50,000 years ago. It can be refined into a variety of commercial items, including paper, rope, textiles, clothing, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, food, and animal feed.
Fish oil is oil derived from the tissues of oily fish. Fish oils contain the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), precursors of certain eicosanoids that are known to reduce inflammation in the body and improve hypertriglyceridemia. There has been a great deal of controversy in recent years about the role of fish oil in cardiovascular disease, with recent meta-analyses reaching different conclusions about its potential impact. The most promising evidence supports supplementation for prevention of cardiac death.
Eicosapentaenoic acid is an omega-3 fatty acid. In physiological literature, it is given the name 20:5(n-3). It also has the trivial name timnodonic acid. In chemical structure, EPA is a carboxylic acid with a 20-carbon chain and five cis double bonds; the first double bond is located at the third carbon from the omega end.
There are many fatty acids found in nature. The two essential fatty acids are omega-3 and omega-6, which are necessary for good human health. However, the effects of the ω-3 (omega-3) and ω-6 (omega-6) essential fatty acids (EFAs) are characterized by their interactions. The interactions between these two fatty acids directly effect the signaling pathways and biological functions like inflammation, protein synthesis, neurotransmitters in our brain, and metabolic pathways in the human body.
Winterization of oil is a process that uses a solvent and cold temperatures to separate lipids and other desired oil compounds from waxes. Winterization is a type of fractionation, the general process of separating the triglycerides found in fats and oils, using the difference in their melting points, solubility, and volatility.
Aker BioMarine is a Norwegian fishing and biotech company providing krill products through a fully documented and secured catch and process chain. Based in Oslo, Aker BioMarine is part of the Aker Group and the company also created Eco-Harvesting.
Hash oil or cannabis oil is an oleoresin obtained by the extraction of cannabis or hashish. It is a cannabis concentrate containing many of its resins and terpenes – in particular, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and other cannabinoids. Hash oil is usually consumed by smoking, vaporizing or eating. Preparations of hash oil may be solid or colloidal depending on both production method and temperature and are usually identified by their appearance or characteristics. Color most commonly ranges from transparent golden or light brown, to tan or black. There are various extraction methods, most involving a solvent, such as butane or ethanol.
Egg oil, also known as egg yolk oil or ovum oil, is derived from the yolk of chicken eggs consisting mainly of triglycerides with traces of lecithin, cholesterol, biotin, xanthophylls lutein and zeaxanthin, and immunoglobulins. It is free of egg proteins and hence may be used safely by people who are allergic to eggs, for topical applications such as hair and skin care. The product has several historical references in Unani (Greek) medicine for hair care. Traditional Chinese medicine uses egg oil for burns, eczema, dermatitis, mouth ulcers, skin ulcers, chapped nipples, tinea capitis, ringworm, nasal vestibulitis, frostbite, and hemorrhoids.
Privateer Holdings is an American private equity company that invests in the legal cannabis industry. Privateer Holdings is headquartered in Seattle, Washington and employs more than 350 people in seven countries. The company is building a diversified portfolio of cannabis brands. As of November 2016, the company has raised $122 million. Privateer Holdings secured the first institutional investor to enter the cannabis industry, Founders Fund. In 2019 Privateer Holdings was merged with Tilray.
Medical Marijuana, Inc. is a holding company with subsidiaries that make and sell a range of hemp-based products.
Cooking oil is a plant or animal liquid fat used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking. Oil allows higher cooking temperatures than water, making cooking faster and more flavorful, while likewise distributing heat, reducing burning and uneven cooking. It sometimes imparts its own flavor. Cooking oil is also used in food preparation and flavoring not involving heat, such as salad dressings and bread dips.
Hemp juice is a beverage derived from industrial hemp, made from the result of pressing the Cannabis sativa plant. The juice is obtained through a large-scale industrial cold-pressing procedure using the upper parts of the hemp plant as well as the leaves. This procedure distinguishes hemp juice from other hemp products such as hemp oil, hemp sprouts or hemp milk, which are obtained through the seeds of the hemp plant.
Enzymotec was an Israeli speciality chemicals company. It was acquired by Frutarom in Jan 2018.
Michael Cammarata is an American entrepreneur, investor, and wellness industry executive. He is president and chief executive officer of Neptune Wellness Solutions, a Canadian/American wellness company and the co-founder and former chief executive officer of Schmidt’s Naturals, an all-natural personal care company acquired by Unilever in 2017. Cammarata also operates the venture capital fund Random Occurrence.
{{cite web}}
: |first=
has generic name (help)[ dead link ]{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty |title=
(help)