Healthcare >> CEO Interviews >> April 15, 2002
PATRICIA McPEAK is President and Chief Executive Officer of NutraStar
Incorporated. She is the founder of NutraStar and the inventor of its
stabilized rice bran products. She's been in the field of protein and
ingredient production for over 30 years, and is an expert in rice bran,
ingredient formulation, and extrusion technology. For the past 20 years,
Ms. McPeak has worked diligently to stabilize the rice bran and make it
safe for human consumption. In 1981, she joined forces with Dr. Robin
Saunders of the USDA to begin developing an economical method for
stabilizing rice bran. During that time, she and her future husband, Dan
McPeak, formed Brady International, which became the first company to
effectively deactivate the enzyme that rendered the bran rancid within
hours of milling. In 1989, Ms. McPeak co-founded and served as President
and Board member of Food Extrusion, Inc. (now The RiceX Company), an
R&D, technology, and ingredients company. She and her team perfected a
proprietary system for deactivating the enzyme and, at the same time,
preserving the vital antioxidants that ensure an extended product shelf
life. While at RiceX, Ms. McPeak conducted extensive research and
development and initiated the first clinical trial on stabilized rice
bran. In 1997, she co-authored and filed a patent application entitled,
'A Method for Treating Hypercholesterolemia, Hyperlipidemia, &
Atherosclerosis.' The patent was approved in May 2000 and published in
October 2000 by the US government, with 27 allowable claims related to
coronary heart disease. She was also responsible for product
development, marketing, and sales. In March 2000, Ms. McPeak resigned
from RiceX to launch NutraStar Incorporated, a research-based
nutraceutical company that develops and markets revolutionary whole food
products with a focus on stabilized rice bran derivatives. Ms. McPeak
has been honored for significant professional contributions as one of
the 'Women Who Mean Business' by the Sacramento Business Journal
(September 1997). Profile
of NutraStar Incorporated?
Ms. McPeak: NutraStar was founded in 2000 to capitalize on the
nutraceutical market, the
