Organic Nutrition Limited announced on Saturday that it had begun exporting Bangladeshi functional food brand ‘Karkuma’ to the USA, where it is now available at different outlets.
The announcement, made during a press conference at a hotel in the capital, also revealed plans for further expansion to European and UAE markets.
Functional foods are generally considered to be foods or dietary supplements that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition when consumed on a regular basis at effective levels.
Iftaker Rashid, director of ONL, said, ‘Bangladesh has traditionally been an importer of premium health foods from developed countries. Today, we are reversing that trend by exporting locally produced world-class functional foods to global markets.’
‘We believe this sector will play an important role in increasing the country’s export earnings,’ he added.
AR Mohammad Parvez Mazumder, executive director of ONL, said that Teal Gaia, an American company, conducted an extensive inspection of the company’s research and production facilities on March.
‘Following their assessment of the products’ quality and efficacy, Teal Gaia placed a substantial order for four flagship functional foods including Joint Guard, Immune Plus, Cycle Comfort, and Turmeric Booster. These products were subsequently delivered and launched in the USA market in November,’ he said.
ONL said that these functional foods have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for both safety and efficacy. They are now available in leading American supermarkets and on Amazon USA.
Additionally, ONL’s products are available in Bangladeshi supermarkets, model pharmacies, and online marketplaces.
Speaking at the event, representatives of ONL emphasised the company’s dedication to improve health with the scientifically formulated functional foods.
‘These foods are not medicines or supplements but are safe for daily consumption,’ they claimed.
Arun Kumar Mandal, executive director of the company, among others, was present in the event.
