DAVIS, CALIF. — The US Patent and Trademark Office has awarded four patents to Arcadia Biosciences, Inc.  Two of the patents relate to extending the shelf life of whole wheat by minimizing hydrolytic and oxidative rancidity. Arcadia Biosciences also received notices of allowance for two additional patents that extend earlier claims surrounding the extended shelf life of wheat and reduced gluten grains.

The new patents bring the total number of patents in Arcadia's GoodWheat portfolio of wheat varieties to 22.

“These patents further strengthen our intellectual property and technology portfolio, as well as our position as a leader in improving the nutritional value of crops,” said Randy Shultz, PhD, chief technology officer at Arcadia Biosciences. “We continue to focus our research and development — and ultimately, our commercial activities — on bringing healthy innovation to wheat through our GoodWheat portfolio.”

Arcadia's extended shelf life wheat has been shown to extend the storage life of whole wheat flour to more than 10 months when compared to standard whole wheat flour, which begins to oxidize immediately after milling and has an average shelf life of 10 to 30 days, according to the company.

The company's reduced gluten variety delivers the taste and performance of traditional flour but with 65% less allergenic gluten, according to Arcadia Biosciences.

US Patent No. 10,463,051 grants intellectual property protection for wheat plants with reduced lipase 1 activity, leading to reductions in decomposition products of fatty acids that can affect the smell or flavor in the processed crop. US Patent No. 10,457,951 focuses on similar reductions in decomposition products of fatty acids driven by lipoxygenase enzymes.

The third patent, US Notice of Allowance 16/580,975, extends Arcadia's protection of extended shelf life technology in food. The fourth patent, US Notice of Allowance 15/577,588, builds upon Arcadia's intellectual property estate for reduced gluten GoodWheat product lines.

Arcadia's GoodWheat portfolio includes a high-fiber variety with up to 10 times the dietary fiber of traditional wheat. The company announced in 2019 the high-fiber bread wheat will come to the North American market exclusively through Bay State Milling Co., Quincy, Mass.