The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) has added six new companies to its membership roster. These companies include: Voting Members—AstaReal Inc.; Bifodan Inc.; and Rebound Health International, Inc.; Associate Members—Global Recruiters of Madison; RT Specialty, LLC; and Wellvest Capital.

“We are very pleased to start the New Year with the addition of six new companies who will help strengthen our association and its mission,” said CRN president & CEO Steve Mister. “Every year provides an opportunity to work with our members to tackle more challenges and find new opportunities to foster sustained growth for our industry. At CRN, we’re more than up to the challenge. We welcome these new companies into our membership ranks and look forward to the active role they will play in further building our association and our industry.”

The new member companies are:

Voting Members

• AstaReal Inc.: AstaReal Inc. is a biotech company exclusively dedicated to the production, research and marketing of natural astaxanthin, a highly effective antioxidant. AstaReal was one of the first companies in the world to commercially produce natural astaxanthin. Today, as part of the Fuji Chemical Industry Group, AstaReal offers a range of unique patented astaxanthin-based products to be used in dietary supplements, animal feed and cosmetics.

• Bifodan Inc.: Bifodan Inc. is a supplier of innovative and science based probiotic finished solutions for private labels. Founded in 1992, Bifodan has more than 20 years of experience with dedicated research, development and manufacturing of probiotics as dietary supplements. The company focuses on clinically documented and sustainable probiotic product solutions with documented real time stability, and services a growing international customer base of pharmaceuticals and dietary supplement companies.

• Rebound Health International, Inc.: Rebound Health International, Inc., is a newly established nutraceuticals company in the process of developing its first product line. With plans to launch its first product in 2015, Rebound Health International will offer lines of dietary supplements and fortified/functional foods.

Associate Members

• Global Recruiters of Madison: Global Recruiters of Madison (GRN Madison) is an award winning executive search firm that has specialized in placing top talent in the natural products industry through channel-specific recruitment since 2005. GRN Madison’s clientele primarily includes privately held and publicly traded dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers.

• RT Specialty, LLC: RT Specialty, LLC, is an independent wholesale brokerage that provides specialty insurance services, proven leadership, outstanding industry expertise and quality services to retail agents, brokers and insurance carriers worldwide. RT Specialty works to provide innovative property, casualty, professional liability, transportation and workers’ compensation coverages to meet their clients’ most complex insurance needs. Further, RT Specialty Life Science Practice is a thought leader in the dietary supplement industry with 20 years of brokerage expertise and an exclusive Dietary Supplement Insurance Program. Through a national wholesale brokerage platform with offices in most U.S. major cities, RT Specialty is committed to becoming a leader in the wholesale brokerage marketplace.

• Wellvest Capital: Wellvest Capital is a Boston based private investment and strategic advisory firm focused on the consumer healthy living industry. The firm’s hands-on experience in the healthy living industry, combined with years of senior level investment banking and financial strategy experience, provides its portfolio companies and clients with a unique perspective and approach to driving shareholder value.