BBGI Plc, the biotechnology arm of Bangchak Corporation Plc, has injected Bt 83 million (US$2.4 million) into Biom Co, a startup spun off from Chulalongkorn University, in a move to commercialise new bio-based products that aim to alleviate decades-long concerns over contaminated vegetables and fruit in the Thai market.
The investment represents 20% share in Biom, founded at the university’s Faculty of Science to be a startup specialising in studying and developing enzymes for a range of purposes. BBGI has recently signed an agreement with Biom to scale up its pilot production facility for commercial manufacturing.
The investment also gives BBGI the right to produce M Green and X10, Biom’s 2 major products expected to keep harmful contaminants away from vegetables and fruit, as well as preserve their freshness for a longer period. M Green is a cleaning enzyme that can degrade the structure of chemicals left on vegetables and fruit. It can detoxify chemicals that come from fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides. X10 is a longevity enzyme capable of prolonging the shelf life of vegetables and fruit in supermarkets by 7-10 days. Soaking newly harvested vegetables and fruit in water mixed with X10 can slow their change to a brown colour.
BBGI expects to debut the products around the middle of this year and plans to complete a production facility near Chachoengsao province by the end of 2023.
Kittiphong Limsuwannarot, Chief Executive of BBGI is confident that the 2 products will draw huge interest from both sellers and buyers of vegetables and fruits who are concerned over contamination issues. A recent survey of 509 fruits and vegetables sold nationwide, conducted by the Thai Pesticide Alert Network in 2020, found 9 fruits and 18 vegetables contained more chemical residues than legally allowed. These include red grapes, jujubes, cherry tomatoes, Chinese kale and red chillies among others.
Biom also developed 2 other bio-based products namely P-Safe Test Kit and Alis, a new type of plant nutrient which are slated for mass production. P-Safe Test Kit is designed to examine traces of insecticide in the organophosphate category, which may be left on vegetables and fruits. Organophosphates refer to a group of man-made chemicals that poison insects and mammals. Alis is a bio-based substance that can increase nutrients in soil and accelerate the growth of plants.
Meanwhile, BBGI has also partnered with US-based biotechnology firm Manus Bio Inc to jointly establish Win Ingredients Co. This new company will serve as a springboard for Manus Bio, which runs a zero-calorie sweetener production facility in Augusta, Georgia (US), to expand into Asia.
