MR_Response to Carr190309.pdf (application/pdf Object)

MR_Response to Carr190309.pdf (application/pdf Object)


Many Australian companies in the biotech sector struggle to either prove a concept or to develop it. Herbal-Active™ and HerBev™ are natural anti-microbials akin to hops in beer (without hops, beer wouldn't last a week before being over-grown with bacteria, yeasts and moulds). VCFS has spent countless thousands funding the proof of concept and the samples and support needed to get industry to even look at this natural replacement for benzoates, sorbates, metabisulphites, parabens and other chemical preservatives.

Through strategic partnerships, selected agencies and lots of pressing the flesh, blogs, email campaigns and more, the word is slowly creeping out.

My next attack is the supermarkets and natural food stores themselves. Here in Australia, Coles and Woolworths and US outlets such as Whole Foods Markets, Andronicos, Draegers and Lunardi’s should be telling their suppliers to seek us out and to listen to what we are saying.

In the meat industry, sausages appear to be the money pot and a long shelf life sausage is the Holy Grail for companies supplying supermarkets. However, while the ideal solution is to dip or tumble the trim with a 2% solution of Herbal-Active, drain and then mince, few manufacturers want to do more than simply replace the preservative chemicals they now measure in with their seasonings.

Innovation and progress often mean a step sideways and yet change is resisted as though it's important to maintain the status quo. It also takes time and leadership so I guess that like the Australian biotech industry, I'll just sit back and wait.