Dispatches from Vitafoods Europe 2012
Regional partnerships are key to tackling Asia, says Vésale Pharma president
FoodNavigator-Asia spoke to Johan Quintens, vice president of Vésale Pharma, at Vitafoods Europe 2012 in Geneva, about the firm’s strategy in taking its probiotic encapsulation technology, InteliCaps, to Asia.
In October last year the firm launched its technology in Australia and New Zealand and it is now focused on China and Southeast Asia – but Quintens said that the functional food application area is still ‘new’ for the pharmaceutical company and an area still being ‘explored’.
He also noted that typical Asian functional food, fortified with probiotics, is also a relatively young sector.
The firm has teamed up with agents in China and Southeast Asia to ensure stronger market and regulation knowledge – a strategy essential in succeeding, Quintens said.
