Hermes Pharma awarded European Organic Certificate
Wolfratshausen GMP facility meets organic food trend requirements
Hermes Pharma, the expert in user-friendly oral dosage forms, has announced that its facility in Wolfratshausen, Germany now also meets the requirements to produce and package organic food substances. The company has been certified and is now authorised by a national control body to produce and label its organic food products as such, and use the well-known and highly-recognised European Organic Certificate. As of today, Hermes Pharma can embrace the pharmafoods trend and engage with industry needs and meet European consumer demands.
The green, star-studded logo of the European Organic Certificate (the 'Euro-leaf') is perceived as a trusted source for high quality organically grown and processed products, which health-conscious and well-informed consumers increasingly expect. Due to the consumer confidence it has gained, the logo has become one of the most respected seals in the industry, indicating full conformity with the conditions and regulations for the organic farming sector established by the European Union. The EU organic logo has become an advantageous and effective marketing instrument.
Over the last 15 years, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies have enhanced their product portfolios to respond to consumer needs for foods and beverages that fit into a healthy and active lifestyle. Initially, products were introduced that contained less sugar, fat and salt. Then foods appeared with additional ingredients aimed at specific medicinal benefits – probiotic yoghurts, for example. Food supplements including vitamin capsules, nutritional powders, liquids, etc. that contain nutritional or medicinal components have been continuously on the rise. Now there is a growing movement towards nutrient-dense food and beverages that in addition address the need for preventative health and reduce the risk of disease. These trends are leading to a convergence of the food and pharmaceutical industries, with some nutraceutical market estimates reaching US$250bn by end 2018.
The European Organic Certification for Hermes Pharma’s Wolfratshausen Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) plant represents an important step in the company’s ability to meet the needs of modern consumers and the requirements deriving from a pharmaceutical industry that is converging with the food sector.
'The certification is an essential part of our strategy to leverage our development and manufacturing services to pharmafood companies,' said Dr Thomas Hein, Senior Vice President Commercial and Regulatory Affairs at Hermes Pharma. 'Thanks to our technological know-how and expertise in delivering products that meet the discerning standards of the pharmaceutical industry, we are now also ready to respond to the growing demand that pharmafoods will create.'
Hermes Pharma’s first organic food customer is Bad Heilbrunner, a provider of medicinal plant-based teas and one of the most innovative mid-sized companies in Germany. Bad Heilbrunner provides medicinal teas, combining well established traditional herbal knowledge with modern well-being approaches in the development and manufacturing of tea.
