Almond marketer and processor Blue Diamond has partnered with Brightseed, a bioactive discovery company, in order to research new potentially beneficial compounds in California almonds.
 
The findings will inform Blue Diamond’s consumer education initiatives, product innovations, and more.
 
Brightseed is known for discovering new bioactives in plants through the use of Forager, a proprietary Artificial Intelligence program. Through a collaborative research program, Forager profiled Blue Diamond’s whole natural almonds and identified 188 predicted bioactive compounds with the potential to impact several areas of human health, including mental wellness, metabolic health, and immunity.
 
“As an almond-focused grower cooperative and an innovation leader in almond-based ingredients and consumer products, we are thrilled to collaborate with Brightseed to gain a deeper understanding of this unique superfood,” said Kurt Waananen, Blue Diamond’s senior director of R&D. “Almonds are already well-studied, but this collaboration gives us a deeper understanding and new ways to view future exploration of nutritional benefits and clinical studies.”
 
Almonds are a nutrient-dense food and, according to Brightseed and Blue Diamond, have been linked to a number of human health benefits, including cardiovascular health, blood glucose management, satiety and weight management, and gut health. The companies also note that preliminary research indicates the potential for almonds to reduce wrinkles and skin pigmentation, and UVB light protection benefits.
 
 Results from the initial findings through Forager indicate that there may still be undiscovered compounds in almonds, and undiscovered human health benefits.
 
“At Blue Diamond, we closely monitor trends and conduct consumer research to understand
how people overall feel about their food, diet, and eating and drinking habits,” said Sarb Dhanjal, senior director of consumer insights at Blue Diamond. “We’ve found that consumers today want to lead healthier lifestyles but find it difficult to prioritize nutrition as a daily habit. The Global Future of Food Survey by McKinsey & Company confirms that consumers worldwide desire to eat better, but nearly half struggle to find the right way to do so.”
 
“Today’s consumers view Blue Diamond as a trusted brand and the leader in almond product innovations,” Dhanjal continued. “Consumers are also navigating a highly crowded marketplace with the proliferation of plant-based food and beverage options claiming holistic health benefits. To that end, I am excited for this collaboration with Brightseed to bring forward the health benefits of almonds in new and differentiating ways to our well-poised portfolio of consumer brands and ingredients.”
 
“Science has long known that bioactives are essential health-driving components within plants, but pinpointing their underlying mechanisms of action has been a largely intractable problem for the food, health, and nutrition industries,” said Sofia Elizondo, co-founder and COO of Brightseed. “Our work with Blue Diamond enables Forager to tap into a global food staple and illuminate the almond health story for consumers worldwide. This is an important leap for the industry to champion food and functional ingredients as powerful and accessible modalities for precision nutrition for proactive health.”