Montinutra was founded in 2018 to convert forest industry side-streams into high-value bioactive products. Montinutra intends to produce valuable ingredients for the cosmetics, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical industries, focusing first on extracts made from spruce sawdust. The Sprucegum™ product has potential in personal care, cosmetics and foodstuffs as an emulsifying and stabilising ingredient. The health beneficial Qusitol® product, also obtained from sawdust, has shown potential in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).
In early 2021 Metsä Spring participated in a financing round together with other private investors to support Montinutra in commercialising these products and scaling up the company’s production capacity. Montinutra’s pilot plant was started up later in year 2021. Metsä Group has two sawmills in Finland, which may provide sawdust for the production.
For more information about Montinutra, please visit their website: https://www.montinutra.com/