Bio-Tec develops herbal products

HERBAL PRODUCTS: Bio-Tec was founded on August 27, 1993 to develop technology for the bio processing of primary agricultural products to value added products. Bio- Tec was absorbed into Bio-Tec International (Pvt) Ltd on May 13, 1994 and was converted to Bio Tec International Limited, a Public Company on June 20, 2003 projecting itself into a trajectory for a long term development during the next few years.

The main objective of Bio Tec to establishing scientific and industrial culture which is lacking today, Chairman of the Bio Tec International Limited Professor K. Balasubramaniam said.

Because of the lack of support from the business community, myself, along with the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jaffna Prof. A. Thurairajah, Bursar of the University K. Kanagaratnam, two other Directors and 11 founder shareholders, mostly from the academic world, formed a partnership company named Bio Tec. in 1994, it evolved into Bio Tec International (Pvt) Ltd, he said.

Today Bio-Tec produces Sitha Herbals a remedy for diabetes Achcha - soft drinks, diet and diabetic - 2D cola, glucose syrups, baker's yeast, beer and wine from rice, enzymes - amylase, glucoamylase and protease. The company strongly believes that research and scientific capacity building are fundamental for product development and international competitiveness.

He added that the aim of the company and the research was to add value to Sri Lankas agricultural resources such as corn, broken rice, manioc and palmera tuber.

The starch in these raw materials was converted into glucose syrup using a new technology, whereas in the rest of the world the glucose syrup is produced from purified starch.

The glucose syrups are also used as nutrient medium to grow microorganisms such as bakers yeast. bakers yeast is produced elsewhere in the world from molasses in sugar cane and sugar beet industries.

Again, this is a new process. During the production of bakers yeast, beer and wine are formed as by products, whereas in traditional industries, beer is produced from malted barley. Here, an integrated new process has been developed and a patent applied for in Sri Lanka. The entire process produces glucose syrup, bakers yeast and beer from indigenous agricultural resources.

Thus there is no need to import any raw material or technology for production, he said. In the near future, the company hopes to export this new technology to the rest of the world and set-up manufacturing units in other countries based on this patent.

The plant is situated in Jaffna and distribution is done in Colombo too. Bio-Tec expects to collaborate with foreign/local companies to increase the productivity and sales locally and abroad. (AS)