PeptAIde is a new sports nutrition ingredient from BASF designed to reduce inflammation in post-workout recovery. The new creation contains a set of plant-based peptides identified using artificial intelligence.

The new substance was the product of a collaboration between BASF and Nuritas, a startup based in Ireland, which used AI to discover new bioactive peptides from brown rice protein. PeptAIde provides a protein hydrolysate with additional functionality, easily accessible amino acids with low allergenic potential and immune modulating potential.

The chemical services provider produces the ingredient in Germany and launched it to the US market in November last year, with the Asia-Pacific region launch already in the works.

BASF presented PeptAIde as a sports nutrition bar alongside a range of other nutritional health solutions at Food Ingredients China 2019, in line with increasing interest in healthy living in China.

On-the-go sports nutrition is gradually gaining prevalence, especially among millennials, in convenient options such as protein bars.

This trend was corroborated by a consumer research project commissioned by BASF. The project showed that more active consumers, not just professional athletes, are seeking plant-based solutions to help manage sports-related inflammation.

With this wider reach, the hope is that the ingredient will help consumers in China maintain active lifestyles.

Haibo Tian, Regional Sales Head of Human Nutrition Asia-Pacific at BASF, said: “We are committed to providing the right nutrients to the right people at the right time. China continues to be at the forefront of innovation in the health space, making it an ideal market for BASF to launch PeptAIde, to drive sports nutrition to the next level. BASF has the exclusive license to commercialise this breakthrough ingredient globally.”