Ethical Naturals, Inc. has launched GreenGrown-GCS, a non-animal blend of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, which it is positioning as an alternative to traditional shellfish-derived glucosamine and bovine cartilage-derived chondroitin, serving vegan and vegetarian consumers.
The blend is produced through fermentation from non-GMO sources.
The supplier and manufacturer of botanical extracts and speciality ingredients introduced GreenGrown Glucosamine in 2009, which was made through fermentation of a non-GMO vegetable source.
It said that developing a complementary fermented chondroitin sulfate needed "additional years of work to achieve consistent quality and reliable commercial production."
GreenGrown-GCS brings these two ingredients together in a proprietary blend of glucosamine HCl and high-purity chondroitin sulfate.
ENI said the combination lets manufacturers offer a "familiar joint health formulation from non-animal sources" while also addressing consumer interest in ingredient origins.
To verify ingredient sources, ENI said that it uses testing methods designed to distinguish fermentation-derived materials from animal-derived alternatives.
GreenGrown Glucosamine undergoes testing through ENI’s patented Isotopic Signature Carbon Tracing method to verify its vegetable origin.
The chondroitin sulfate undergoes Enzymatic-HPLC testing for A-type chondroitin components, which are characteristic of animal-source materials and absent or present at very low levels in fermentation-derived chondroitin.
