Ingredient supplier DolCas Biotech is moving its Curcugen® full-spectrum curcuminoid complex out of the supplement aisle and into functional food and beverage formats, announcing two commercial partnerships ahead of its appearance at SupplySide Global 2026.
The dual deployments — one in a premium Mānuka honey SKU, one in a cognitive-performance drink — underscore a broader category shift as ingredient suppliers push bioavailable actives into formats that appeal to experience-driven consumers and on-premise wellness operators alike.
The Honey Application
New Zealand-based Mānukora has incorporated Curcugen® into its new "Body Recovery & Gut" formulation, blending raw MGO 850+ Mānuka honey with the full-spectrum turmeric extract alongside concentrated ginger and Sicilian lemon oil. The positioning draws on Ayurvedic tradition — honey as a yogavahi, or bioavailability-enhancing carrier — while targeting the fast-growing recovery and gut-health segments.
"Pairing turmeric with Mānuka felt less like inventing something new and more like bringing a traditional idea into a modern formulation," said Benjamin Nahar, Head of Product Development and Herbal Science at Mānukora. He cited Curcugen®'s full-spectrum profile — which retains native turmeric oils and the minor curcuminoids demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin — as enabling meaningful potency at lower inclusion rates than a standard 95% curcumin extract, which matters when working with a flavor-forward base like premium honey.
For foodservice-adjacent operators — hotel F&B programs, wellness café concepts, and specialty grocery buyers — the format is notable: a single-ingredient vehicle (honey) with a clearly differentiated clinical backing, ready for menu or retail shelf integration without reformulation overhead.
The Cognitive Beverage Play
The second application, Numin by SLS Performance Pte., Ltd., targets a different but equally high-value consumer: the professional dealing with decision fatigue. The product uses Curcugen® as a lead ingredient in an orange-flavored, single-serve powder sachet designed to disperse in water or another liquid. Numin's internal evaluations report improved mental clarity and sustained decision-making within approximately 60 minutes, with effects lasting up to six hours.
"We didn't want to just stack trendy ingredients and call it cognitive support," said Arun Hozack, CEO of Numin. "Curcugen® stood out early for its strong clinical grounding, clean turmeric-derived profile, and the bioavailability and formulation flexibility to actually perform inside a functional beverage."
The ready-to-mix format is well-suited to workplace foodservice, corporate hospitality, and on-premise wellness programs — channels that have seen accelerating demand for functional beverage options as operators look beyond traditional coffee and energy drink programs.
Why the Ingredient Story Matters for Operators
Curcugen®'s Self-Affirmed GRAS status, water dispersibility, and mild flavor profile are the technical attributes that make it viable across a wide range of foodservice-facing SKUs — attributes that matter when a hotel chef, contract feeder, or wellness brand is vetting an active for inclusion in a finished product. DolCas Biotech founder and CEO K.G. Rao frames the commercial opportunity broadly: honey, ready-to-drink shots, gummies, chocolate, and other functional food formats are all within reach.
Clinical research on Curcugen® spans exercise recovery, gastrointestinal wellness, knee joint health, and bioavailability, with the company reporting more than 50-fold greater bioavailability of total curcuminoids versus a standard curcuminoid extract. Additional research programs are ongoing, according to Rao, some targeting categories not traditionally associated with curcumin. DolCas Biotech will demonstrate both applications at SupplySide Global 2026, Booth #6011.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
