Nutritional Products from Space Research
It is difficult to imagine a connection between planetary
space flight and baby food, but the connection does in fact exist.
Commercially available infant formulas now contain a nutritional
enrichment ingredient that traces its existence to NASA-sponsored
research that explored the potential of algae as a recycling
agent for long duration space travel.
The formula being fed to the baby contains an algae-based
additive highly enriched in nutrients believed to be beneficial
to infant mental and visual development; called Formulaid, the
additive is an offshoot of space research.
The ingredient is an algae-based, vegetable-like oil known
as Formulaid®. It was developed and is manufactured by Martek
Biosciences Corporation, Columbia, Maryland, which has pioneered
the commercial development of products based on microalgae; the
company's founders and principal scientists acquired their expertise
in this area while working on the NASA program.
Formulaid is Martek's leading product. Its value as a dietary
supplement lies in the fact that it contains two essential polyunsaturated
fatty acids known as DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and ARA (arachidonic
acid). DHA and ARA, found in human milk but not in most infant
formulas, are believed by many researchers to be associated with
mental and visual development.
Martek literature amplifies that statement:
"DHA and ARA are the predominant fatty acids in the grey
matter of the brain and DHA is particularly enriched in the retina.
Children and adults obtain DHA primarily from their diets, since
humans synthesize only small amounts of DHA. Infants acquire
DHA and ARA initially in utero during pregnancy, and then from
their diets via their mothers' milk. DHA and ARA dietary supplementation
may be particularly important for premature and low birth weight
infants, who may not get their full allotment in utero."
The additive has been introduced in Europe in the formula
Nenatal produced by Nutricia of The Netherlands.
There are also reasons to believe, Martek says, that DHA-supplemented
formula can be beneficial to full term infants as well as pre-terms.
Two major nutritional authorities-the British Nutrition Foundation
and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization/World
Health Organization Expert Committee on Human Nutrition-support
that belief; both have endorsed use of DHA and ARA as additives
in both pre-term and full term infant formulas and as nutrients
for women during pregnancy and lactation.
Formulaid and other Martek products had their origins in a
NASA program of the early 1980s known as CELSS (Closed Environment
Life Support System). Under NASA contract, Martin Marietta Laboratories,
Inc., Baltimore, Maryland experimented with the use of microalgae
as a food supply, a source of oxygen and a catalyst for waste
disposal on future human-crewed planetary missions.
In 1985, Martin Marietta dropped out of the CELSS program
when the company decided to discontinue support for bioscience
research. Several of the Laboratories' scientists saw an opportunity
to start a company and seek to commercialize their expertise
in deriving compounds from algae and plants. In May 1985 they
left Martin Marietta to form Algatex, Inc., which became Martek
Biosciences Corporation in September of that year. Three of the
group are still with the company: Dr. Richard J. Radmer, president
and chief scientific officer; Dr. David J. Kyle, vice president,
head of research and development; and Dr. Paul W. Behrens, director
of physiology. Henry Linsert, Jr., is chairman and chief executive
officer of Martek.
Martek has devoted more than a decade to research on microalgae,
which the company calls "a biochemically rich and diverse
kingdom of organisms that have been overlooked by science and
commercial interests because of culturing difficulties."
Now staffed by some 60 scientists representing all of the life
sciences, Martek has solved many of the culturing problems and
developed a number of patented products and processes, of which
Formulaid is the "flagship" product.
In 1994, Martek was granted a U.S. patent for Formulaid and
in the same year the company signed an agreement with Nutricia,
a leading European nutritional product manufacturer, whereby
Formulaid was to be added to Nutricia's infant formula for sale
in Europe. Nutricia successfully introduced the formula for pre-term
infants and is in process of expanding Formulaid use to formula
for all infants. Martek has also concluded licensing agreements
with the Swiss company Sandoz Nutrition Ltd., the Israeli firm
Maaborot Products Ltd., and two American infant formula producers,
American Home Products and the Mead Johnson Division of Bristol-Myers
Squibb. The U.S. licensees are awaiting Food and Drug Administration
approval; U.S. introduction of Formulaid for pre-term infant
formula is expected in 1996 and for all-infant formula in 1997.
®Formulaid is a registered trademark of
Martek Biosciences Corporation.
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