MSU and Amway Reach Licensing Agreement for Cherry Product
By Karen Gentry
Associate Editor
Michigan State University (MSU) researchers have developed a process to extract the anti-inflammatory property of cherries. MSU has teamed up with the Amway Corporation for a licensing agreement to extract the properties and put them in pill form or some sort of other product, according to Phil Korson, managing director of the Cherry Marketing Institute (CMI).

MSU and Amway would not elaborate on the form the new product would take, after the agreement was announced at the Cherry Summit on March 1 in Grand Rapids, Mich.

“It could have a huge impact on cherry growers. It’s a new use for cherries, a totally new market,” said Korson. It’s good news for the cherry industry as the product requires cherries to make the extractions. Korson said CMI began funding research on this process four to five years ago.

“We’ve known for a long time that cherries have a therapeutic effect,” said Korson. He said Amway is currently working on human health trials, before the product can become a reality and be brought to market. Lab tests show that the anthocyanins in the pigment of tart cherries can give 10 times the anti-inflammatory relief compared with aspirin, according to Muraleedharan Nair, a MSU researcher of cherries. He said cherries also contain bioflavonoids, which are antioxidants, known for preventing cancer.

Korson said this university partnership with industry for this project could be a success story and an example for other agricultural groups. Amway, with headquarters in Ada, Mich., is one of the world’s largest direct-sales companies.

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