Press Release 20th Feb 2025
Aelius is pleased to offer a streamlined, cost effective and results-driven human trial service for the evaluation of nutritional supplement and functional food assessment to support marketing and scientific claims. This service is called BITE trials – Benchmarking Ingredient for Tolerability and Efficacy – which are rapid, small-scale human trials for food safe products.
Aelius Biotech’s expertise in understanding digestion and absorption of orally delivered products and potential effects on human health underpins the BITE trial offering. Bespoke, scientifically robust trial protocols will be designed based on client specific needs. The BITE trials are run in Newcastle, home of Aelius Biotech, over seen by Aelius team members working under the ethical guidance of Newcastle University.
BITE trials are designed to be highly cost-efficient, measuring key indicators such as blood markers, biometric changes, and questionnaire responses. Exclusively for food-safe products, these studies provide the human data needed to advance products with confidence.
An example of a BITE study trial is showcased with Huel – where we evaluated the effect of Huel, a nutritionally complete food, on micronutrient status of volunteers. The Huel team commented on the success of this project “As a nutrition-first company, research is paramount for us to comprehensively understand how Huel positively influences our physiology and empowers individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles. The team at Aelius Biotech has been an invaluable partner in several projects, consistently demonstrating a flexible and thoughtful approach to addressing challenges that arise. Their expertise and dedication were instrumental in facilitating the successful publication of our first peer-reviewed scientific paper in 2022, marking a significant milestone in our journey to provide evidence-based insights into the transformative potential of Huel.”
Aelius is officially launching the BITE trial service at Future Food Technology, San Francisco (13th – 14th March 2025). Our team will be attending and delighted to discuss the benefits of this service.
Contact details:
Dr Emma Mickley, Head of Business & Commercial Development, Aelius Biotech, Newcastle; emma.mickley@aeliusbiotech.co.uk