Brazilian Apitherapy Firm to Seek Halal Certification

Pharma Nectar, a Brazilian Company, Pitches Its Honey Overseas
By Geovana Pagel, Brazzil Magazine, 1/9/2009

Brazilian company Pharma Nectar exports propolis, honey and herbal extracts from Brazilian medicinal plants to more than 20 countries, mainly in Asia and Europe. They have a showroom in the city of Belo Horizonte, capital of the state of Minas Gerais, and a laboratory in the city of Caeté, in the interior of the state.

In order to ensure the brand's growth in the foreign market, the company invests in participation in international trade fairs such as Expo West, the leading exhibition of organic and natural products in the United States, which opens the trade fair season in the United States market.

The history of Pharma Nectar began in 1980 with the establishment of Apiário Néctar (Nectar Apiary). In 1990, with the foundation of Néctar Farmacêutica (Nectar Pharmaceutics), the company gained international reach, expanded its operations to include biotechnology, herbal medication and prescription pharmacy.

With foreign market expansion plans for 2009, the company invests in seeking new markets. According to company owner José Alexandre Abreu, the organization, which already has many Muslim customers in Malaysia, has decided to seek halal certification, which should be obtained still in the first half of 2009.

"We realized that we have many products that are fit for the Arab market. We are well attuned to the religious and cultural issues of the region, and have already developed products that are alcohol-free and contain no ingredients of animal origin," ensures Abreu…