Australian firm launches ‘world’s first clinically tested’ prebiotic honey, targets China market
Beeotic, listed with the Therapeutic Goods Administration as a therapeutic good, is now on sale in supermarkets and pharmacies in Australia, with the company also targeting sales in China.
The Queensland firm says the product is the result of extensive research and a world-first clinical study conducted through the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to identify the prebiotic health potential of select Australian honeys.
Microbiology and Immunology specialist at UNSW Professor Patricia Conway said: “Honey has been used to help normalise digestive balance for many years. The focus of the clinical study was to scientifically validate the specifications of a prebiotic honey to deliver consumers certainty around its potential health and wellness benefits.
“The results of the clinical study found that at a dose of 14mL, approximately one tablespoon per day, certain honeys significantly raised the levels of good bacteria and suppressed potentially harmful bacteria in the digestive tract. Furthermore, levels of good bacteria decreased once the participants stopped taking the honey for a period of time.”
She added the discovery of eight key oligosaccharides believed to be contributing to the prebiotic activity of honey was identified, allowing Capilano to test and detect the honeys which contain the beneficial prebiotic oligosaccharides.
Capilano MD Dr Ben McKee said the company had made a considerable investment into developing industry-first testing methods to identify honeys that deliver this prebiotic content.
“Each batch of Beeotic honey is independently tested using our pioneering technology which we are in the process of patenting,” Dr McKee said.
“The tests look for particular sugar profiles in order to identify which honeys contain the required prebiotic components. Nothing is added, nothing is taken away, Beeotic is just 100 per cent pure Australian honey.
“Best of all this premium quality prebiotic honey is made right here in Australia, hand collected by our network of Australian beekeepers.”
China exports
The product was launched at an event attended by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who welcomed the firm’s focus on exports to China.
“Capilano’s timing in targeting the Asian market is perfect, this economy is growing at a phenomenal rate and by the year 2030, it’s predicted Asia will account for two-thirds of the world’s middle class,” she said.
“Chinese consumers love natural products and already embrace the health benefits of honey, so Beeotic has great potential to be a great boost for Queensland exports.”
Meanwhile, Capilano is currently taking legal action in the wake of unfounded allegations that it is selling ‘toxic and poisonous honey’ to consumers.
“We can confirm that these claims are completely untrue and without foundation,” the company said on Friday.
“Much of the information being circulated relates to the ongoing and unfounded claims made by Mr Simon Mulvany of ‘Save the Bees Australia’ and Capilano Honey’s resulting legal action against him.
“This action was an absolute last resort for Capilano Honey after numerous attempts to engage and inform Mr Mulvany about the inaccuracies of his claims. Capilano Honey has filed a statement of claim with the Supreme Court of New South Wales seeking an order that Mr Mulvany be restrained from publishing false and misleading allegations.”
