The New Zealand Patent Office has awarded Sabinsa Corporation a patent (568233) for the company's SelenoForce^®, a selenium-enriched garlic product manufactured by a soil-less culture process. The patent, titled Compositions Containing Allium Sativum Linn. Garlic) And A Concentrate Of Organic Selenium Compounds For Nutritional Supplementation, is valid until December 2026.

New Zealand Patent No. 568233 must be included on product labels that contain SelenoForce^® in New Zealand.

Garlic bulbs are naturally enriched with a unique composition of organic selenium compounds for nutritional supplementation, using a proprietary hydroponics method. The selenium enriched bulbs are dried, powdered and standardized, to yield SelenoForce^® containing 1000 ppm selenium, in bioavailable organic form, in a base of natural garlic powder.

"This patent is particularly important for us, as it opens new possibilities for fortifying Selenium in the diet in New Zealand, which has selenium deficient soil. Selenium status in population of New Zealand remains low compared to other countries," said Dr. Anurag Pande, Vice President, Scientific Affairs of Sabinsa.

In 2010 Sabinsa Corporation's New Dietary Ingredient notification for SelenoForce^® to the US FDA was accepted and filed by that agency. The company also holds US and EU patents on SelenoForce.

This patent represents the 74th in Sabinsa Corporation's global patent portfolio. For more information please visit: www.selenoforce.com