– Concluded an Agreement with Vitamed, a Global Health Functional Food Distributor Operating in Europe including Germany and Austria
– Expected to Establish Close Partnerships not only in Distribution but also in R&D
Bereum signed a contract with Vitamed, a European pharmaceutical trading company, to supply a first batch of products worth 300,000 euros.
Against the backdrop of trade deficits being posted for 15 months in a row, a local company has successfully signed a deal with a European pharmaceutical distributor to export lactic ferments to Europe, the birthplace of such ferments. The Korean company is Bereum (CEO: Han Kwon-il) that has concentrated on postbiotics R&D for the past three decades.
Bereum concluded an agreement with Vitamed GmbH (Vitamed), a European pharmaceutical wholesaler and distributor, to provide a first batch of goods valued at 300,000 euros (KRW 400 million).
This demonstrates that Korea’s expertise in postbiotics production has finally been recognized in global markets. This will also serve as an opportunity for Bereum’s postbiotics to be distributed to European markets as a whole via Vitamed.
This strategic partnership with a globally renowned company in Europe is recognized as the first step toward close collaboration not only in product development but also in R&D.
A number of global companies have recently paid keener attention to postbiotics. For the past three decades, Bereum (formerly Bereum Korea) has conducted research only on postbiotics in Korea and Japan, as a specialized postbiotics manufacturer.
In 2016, it set up a lab and a plant in Wonju, Gangwon province, which is widely recognized as a clean region, to produce its own high concentration postbiotics. This was acknowledged as the first and only high-tech program in Korea’s food industry.
Such advanced postbiotics manufacturing technologies have enabled Bereum to supply postbiotics to pharmaceutical firms (Chong Kun Dang Pharmaceutical Corp., Dongkook Pharmaceutical, JW Pharmaceutical, Boryung Pharmaceutical Co., Yuyu Pharma, etc.) and food companies (Dongwon F&B, Daesang, Pulmuone, Seoul Milk, Maeil Dairies, Yonsei Dairies, etc.) numbering more than 200 in Korea.
Cooperating with Hyundai Corporation Holdings, Bereum has recently stepped up its efforts to make inroads into global markets.
Collaboration with Hyundai Corporation, which is equipped with global business networks has enabled it to sign this deal with the European pharmaceutical trading company. Also, it is about to conclude agreements with companies in more than 10 nations in North and South America and Southeast Asia to supply ingredients and finished products.
Before signing this deal, Vitamed directly verified the effectiveness and safety of Bereum’s postbiotics. Then, it entered into a contract with Bereum for a yearly supply of film-type products such as Postbiotics Profit and Microbiome Cosmetics.
According to a Bereum official responsible for global business, the anti-hair loss shampoo HANARIN was added at the final phase of the deal.
The official also delivered an interesting episode with a twist where the general director of Vitamed used the shampoo personally for about one month, offering before and after photos and asking in earnest for the product to be added.
Specifically, Bereum plans to launch the film-type health functional food brand Vitabiotik (local name: Postbiotics Profit 2000) containing 100 billion beLP1 postbiotics cells and a daily dose of vitamin D3 first before the postbiotics cosmetic lines Young Clair and HANARIN are released.
Bereum’s cosmetic line contains its patented postbiotics good for the skin to weaken the power of harmful bacteria and to effectively maintain and improve the skin’s immune system.
According to published SCI-level papers, the feminine cleanser line Young Clair contains EF-2001 postbiotics that are known to weaken Candida albicans. Clinical tests show that the postbiotics successfully remove 99.9% of Candida albicans.
Bereum and Vitamed have agreed to gradually expand Bereum’s postbiotics products whose effectiveness and safety are fully recognized in European markets. Going beyond partnerships in distribution, the two companies will promote close collaboration in postbiotics R&D.
Bereum and Vitamed will invite their researchers to forums held annually to share postbiotics R&D trends and data, also agreeing to hold a postbiotics forum to present their future visions.
As a result, Bereum is projected to further solidify its leadership position in the postbiotics market and enhance its global competitiveness.