Blis Technologies, which has its headquarters in Dunedin, has overcome a major hurdle to getting its probiotic health product into the United States, having gained approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Blis chairman Peter Fennessy said in a market update yesterday Blis had a "key'' "letter of no objection'' issued by the FDA, more commonly known as "generally recognised as safe'' (Gras) approval.
"It adds a new level of credibility for [product] Blis K12 and has the potential to put the conversations with larger consumer food and beverage companies in the US on a stronger footing,'' Mr Fennessy said.
He said many of those US companies were risk-averse and having Gras status offered an additional level of confidence for them.
Listed in 2001, Blis was founded on a natural antibiotic to control streptococcal throat infections and went on the develop lozenges, sprays and additives for dairy products. Its mainstay is its Blis K12 throat guard.
Through the Gras programme, companies submit a determination, supported by research and expert review, that their ingredient is generally recognised as safe, which in Blis' case, the FDA did not subsequently question.
