Nasdaq: NEPT TSX: NEPT | |
Industry | Packaged Goods |
Headquarters | Quebec, Canada |
Key people | Michael De Geus (CEO) Cedrick Billequey (COO) |
Website | neptunecorp |
Neptune Wellness Solutions, Inc. is a wellness company Quebec, Canada.
Originally known for Antarctic krill oil production, the company previously operated an industrial-scale licensed cannabis processing plant in Quebec, CA, [1] and a hemp processing facility in North Carolina in the U.S. until selling the cannabis business in 2022. [2]
Neptune Wellness Solutions (originally Neptune Technologies and Bioresources) [3] was founded by Henri Harland and Luc Rainville in 1998. [4] 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. [5] [6] [7] [8] Neptune secured a family of patents - for an extraction process as well as composition and method of use. [8] [9] [10]
In 2002, the company pioneered the production and extraction of Antarctic krill oil. [5] In 2003, after constructing a new facility in Sherbrooke, Quebec, [11] Neptune launched its first product, Neptune Krill Oil, creating a new omega-3 category, manufactured using acetone as a solvent. [5]
In 2012, an explosion in Neptune's processing plant resulted in three deaths and halted production at the facility. [12] 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 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. [13] The company invested to convert its Sherbrooke facility to process cannabis biomass using new cold-ethanol technology [14] and rebranded to Neptune Wellness Solutions. [15] [16]
In 2021 Neptune announced the acquisition of a controlling interest in Sprout Foods. [17]
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. 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. [18] [19] In May 2019, Neptune entered the U.S. hemp market by acquiring the assets of SugarLeaf Labs and Forest Remedies. [20] The purchase included a 24,000-square-foot cold-ethanol hemp processing facility, located in Conover, NC. [2]
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. [16]
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. [21]
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.
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. Fishing for krill where previously the focus was on marine life of higher trophic level is an example of fishing down the food web.
Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a plant in the botanical class of Cannabis sativa cultivars grown specifically for industrial and consumable 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 the 21st century about the role of fish oil in cardiovascular disease, with recent meta-analyses reaching different conclusions about its potential impact.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid, one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants, along with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and accounts for up to 40% of the plant's extract. Medically, it is an anticonvulsant used to treat multiple forms of epilepsy. It was discovered in 1940 and, as of 2024 clinical research on CBD included studies related to the treatment of anxiety, addiction, psychosis, movement disorders, and pain, but there is insufficient high-quality evidence that CBD is effective for these conditions. CBD is sold as an herbal dietary supplement and promoted with yet unproven claims of particular therapeutic effects.
The krill fishery is the commercial fishery of krill, small shrimp-like marine animals that live in the oceans world-wide. The present estimate for the biomass of Antarctic krill is 379 million tonnes. The total global harvest of krill from all fisheries amounts to 150–200,000 tonnes annually, mainly Antarctic krill and North Pacific krill.
Cannabis flower essential oil, also known as hemp essential oil, is an essential oil obtained by steam distillation from the flowers, panicles, stem, and upper leaves of the hemp plant. Hemp essential oil is distinct from hemp seed oil and hash oil: the former is a vegetable oil that is cold-pressed from the seeds of low-THC varieties of hemp, the latter is a THC-rich extract of dried female hemp flowers (marijuana) or resin (hashish).
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 semi-liquid colloids 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.
Privateer Holdings is an American private equity company that invests in the legal cannabis industry. It is headquartered in Seattle, Washington and employs more than 350 people in seven countries.
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.
Cannabis is currently legal for medical and industrial uses in Italy, although it is strictly regulated, while it is decriminalized for recreational uses. In particular, the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use is a civil infraction. The possible sanctions for possession vary from the issuing of a diffida to first offenders, which is an injunction not to use the drug again; to the temporary suspension of certain personal documents for repeat offenders. Conversely, the unauthorized sale of cannabis-related products is illegal and punishable with imprisonment, as is the unlicensed cultivation of cannabis, although recent court cases have effectively established the legality of cultivating small amounts of cannabis for exclusively personal use. The licensed cultivation of cannabis for medical and industrial purposes requires the use of certified seeds; however, there is no need for authorization to plant certified seeds with minimal levels of psychoactive compounds.
The cannabis industry is composed of legal cultivators and producers, consumers, independent industrial standards bodies, ancillary products and services, regulators and researchers concerning cannabis and its industrial derivative, hemp. The cannabis industry has been inhibited by regulatory restrictions for most of recent history, but the legal market has emerged rapidly as more governments legalize medical and adult use. Uruguay became the first country to legalize recreational marijuana through legislation in December, 2013. Canada became the first country to legalize private sales of recreational marijuana with Bill C-45 in 2018.
Aphria Inc., headquartered in Leamington, Ontario, was an international producer and distributor of medicinal and recreational cannabis. The company operated through retail and wholesale channels in Canada and internationally.
Inolex is a worldwide company that designs ingredients for the personal care and cosmetics industries. Headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, the company has been operating since 1876. Inolex supplies ingredients for consumer products including sunscreen, hair conditioner, skin care products, wet wipes, and cosmetics.
Tilray Brands, Inc. is an American pharmaceutical, cannabis-lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company, incorporated in the United States, headquartered in New York City. Tilray also has operations in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America, with growing facilities in Germany and Portugal.
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.