NEXT Proteins Hires New Chief Operating Officer
June 22, 2008
Lots of great things happening these days for NEXT Proteins including the launch of their new PROTEIN BLITZ RTD drink (without a doubt, THE best tasting high-protein RTD on the market in my opinion). They have now announced the hiring of food industry veteran Tom Oliver as Chief Operating Officer. With an extensive track record in consumer packaged goods, Oliver will oversee all aspects of the company’s operations, brand philosophies and product launches.
“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Tom Oliver to our executive management team,” said David Jenkins, Chief Executive Officer and founder of NEXT Proteins. “Tom brings a wealth of cutting edge food product experience to NEXT Proteins. He has a stellar record in leading and growing companies, which coupled with this global experience, makes him the ideal leader to expand our number one selling DESIGNER WHEY business.”
“I am delighted to utilize my aptitude in operations, leadership, brand building and business growth at NEXT Proteins,” commented Tom Oliver, Chief Operating Officer for NEXT Proteins. “I look forward to working with our internal teams, distribution partners, retail affiliates and manufacturing suppliers to build on the current success of DESIGNER WHEY products in the competitive nutritional supplement category.”
Tom’s focus on people and commitment to building a strong corporate culture has been central to his ongoing success in management. He institutes a “Play to Win” methodology which at its most basic encourages everyone in the organization to consciously go as far as they can with all that they have. The opposite of Playing to Win is Playing Not to Lose, which is avoiding fear and risk. If you Play to Win, you engage, thrive on adventure, and pursue growth.
Oliver is a veteran food executive with extensive experience in product development and the operations of creating successful consumer goods. Oliver served as Executive Vice President of domestic and international operations while at PowerBar. He oversaw the development and launch of four new product lines in one year; managed a new factory and distribution center that produced over a million bars a day. Oliver also headed PowerBar’s company-owned subsidiary in Germany. Additionally, he was a member of the executive team that sold PowerBar to Nestle for one of the highest multiples ever paid for a food company.
Most recently, Tom manned the helm for seven and one half years as Chief Executive Officer of CoolSystems, the makers of Game Ready. CoolSystems produces an advanced injury treatment system, marketed to athletic trainers, professional athletes and physical therapists. The company’s product, Game Ready, is a powerful solution for speeding recovery, minimizing tissue damage, and reducing pain. Oliver guided the company through a multitude of issues - product set-backs, funding challenges, and the loss of the CoolSystems headquarters from a devastating fire. Oliver directed the company from a three-person start-up to a respected medical device company with 75 employees and 2007 revenue over $14 million.
Prior to his tenure at CoolSystems, was the Vice President of global Quality Control for Dole Foods and also served as Vice President & General Manager of Dole Foods in the Philippines. Many of the initiatives he executed led to overall company savings of $130 million. Oliver started in the food industry with global powerhouse General Foods as a Facility Manager, and then he moved on to Nabisco Brands, where he was a plant and then project manager in the company’s wildly successful Biscuit Division.
SOURCE: PR WEB (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/06/prweb1032234.htm)
Photo Credit: NEXT Proteins (www.NextProteins.com)
Buckwheat Protein Reduces Cholesterol
June 1, 2008
Ever since David Jenkins (who in my humble opinion is the most knowledgeable protein expert in the supplement industry) and the infamous Dan Duchaine launched whey protein under the brand “Designer Protein” in the early 90s, scientists have searched for other forms of protein to exceed the power of whey. One such protein that has caught interest lately is made from tartary buckwheat and common buckwheat grain. In a recent study this protein extract helped reduce cholesterol levels in rats on a high cholesterol diet by at least 25 per cent, report Japanese researchers.
If the results can be reproduced in humans, the proteins may offer an alternative for functional food formulators and dietary supplements to tap into the burgeoning cholesterol reduction market, currently dominated by phytosterols and stanols.
The research, published in the Journal of Food Science, reports that supplementation of a high cholesterol diet with protein from common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) and tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn) reduced serum cholesterol levels in rats by 32 and 25 per cent, respectively.
In a second experiment, the researchers looked at the effect of the proteins to reduce the formation of gallstones (lithogenesis), measured by the lithogenic index. Supplementation with common (BWP) and tartary buckwheat (TBP) led to reductions of the lithogenic index of 62 and 43 per cent, respectively.
“Taken together, these results suggest a potential source of TBP as a functional food ingredient as well as BWP,” wrote the authors.
High cholesterol levels, hypercholesterolaemia, have a long association with many diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease (CVD), the cause of almost 50 per cent of deaths in Europe.
Analysis of the chemical composition of TBP was found to be 45.8 per cent protein, 7.8 per cent lipids, and 2.7 per cent dietary fibre, while BWP was composed of 65.8 per cent protein, 22.0 per cent lipids, and 7.0 per cent dietary fibre.
TBP was also found to contain more rutin and quercetin than BWP, with 5.3 and 4.4 mg of rutin per 100 grams, respectively, and 1710 and 5.4 mg of quercetin per 100 grams, respectively.
“In this study, TBP contained much amount of quercetin, and its concentration is much higher than BWP, while the content of rutin was very low in both TBP and BWP,” wrote the authors. “The results imply that the rutin in tartary buckwheat flour might be largely degraded to quercetin during the alkali extraction process.”
The researchers note that a synergy might exist between quercetin and tartary buckwheat protein, both of which have been reported to offer protective benefits to the colon.
“A large amount of quercetin in TBP might transfer to large bowel together with indigestible protein. It is possible that quercetin in the TBP may exert potentially beneficial effects on protecting colon oxidative damage,” they stated.
Additional studies need to be performed, with human interventions a priority, before the potential benefits for cholesterol reduction and colon health can be accepted, but the initial results from animal studies appear promising.
So far the only two companies in the sport nutrition area that have released buckwheat protein supplements are: Legal Gear (now LG Sciences) and Kemistry (under the brand name Pro Core). Sources say that the LG Sciences product has been discontinued and Pro Core is on the market but doesn’t seem to be outselling whey protein, that’s for damn sure!