Uptodate and the Performance of Ambitious Sportsmen and Women

December 2015 UPTODATE The Newsletter for GELITA Customers #37 Global perspective Beauty care around the world Editorial Dear reader, Environmental protection, recycling economy, social acceptability: The demand for comprehensive sustainability is becoming ever more important – and rightly so. As a manufacturer of natural products, acting sustainably has long been part of GELITA‘s corporate philosophy. Consequently, we keep asking ourselves what new ways we can find to minimize the impact of our business activities on the environment. However, our products themselves already make a major contribution to conserving natural resources, as Michael Van Elsacker, Global VP Operations of GELITA, confirms in an interview. He also reveals how you, as a customer, benefit when we act sustainably and responsibly. How can I maintain muscle strength and stay mobile over the long term? There is now an answer from a clinical trial to this question, which is posed by many elderly people: With regular muscle training and the collagen peptide BODYBALANCE™, specially developed by GELITA. Read the interesting results of the study in this issue. They maintain a well-balanced diet, do sport – and are willing to invest in their physical well-being. The number of people taking personal responsibility for their health is increasing from year to year. GELITA has the ideal product for this target group: CH-Alpha® SPORT. The innovative ready-to-drink vial based on FORTIGEL® keeps joints, ligaments and tendons fit, and promotes regeneration The editors of uptodate and the performance of ambitious sportsmen and women. Maybe you‘d like to spoke with Michael Van Elsacker, try it out yourself as well? Global VP Operations Michael Teppner, Global VP Marketing & Communication Interview GELITA AG “One of our great advantages: We have Successful event in Heidelberg a global presence.” GELITA MEDICAL Distributors Day Product innovation A sip of [3] [13] beauty [9] Global perspective Beauty care [10] around the world [6] Innovative GELITA keeps you fit – Applications even in old age [15] Shining lights New study on sarcopenia [2] Interview with Michael Van Elsacker, Global VP Operations “ Only those who work sustainably have a future.” GELITA is fully committed to a responsible environmental approach and sustainability. Michael Van Elsacker, Global VP Operations, explains in an interview what this means for the company – and how customers benefit from this philosophy. Mr Van Elsacker, which environmental aspect is always at the stay with the company. One measure yardsticks in sustainability does forefront, but all the other issues are is the employee survey. This provides GELITA apply? at least as important. Sustainability the opportunity for every employee Sustainability is a complex issue, it also includes how we deal with our to give feedback on the working envi- includes environmental, social and employees, which training opportuni- ronment at GELITA. Improvement ini- econ omic factors. Traditionally, the ties we offer them, and how long they tiatives are taken on the basis of the [3] Interview GELITA operates globally, how do you “Sustainability makes reduce the impact of transports on the environment? GELITA a reliable partner – Regarding transports, we distinguish between raw materials and finished products. In order even in a hundred years.” to produce one kilogram of gelatin, we need five to seven kilos of raw materials, therefore we look for new locations that are close to findings. In addition, we also work externally What is this “compost system” all about? suppliers. When delivering our products, we on the social aspects of the supply chain via In Germany, we can use sewage sludge as a take care to select the optimum transport Sedex, the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange. fertilizer or process it as an organic waste routes, and source from the locations that The members of this organization agree to product in biogas plants, which is not permit- are closest to the customer. One of our big adhere to the principles of Social Corporate ted in Australia. With the compost system, advantages is: We have a global presence Responsibility. we have found a good solution for processing and far more local production at our disposal the by-products in Australia, thereby avoid- than our competitors. And regarding environmental protection? ing waste. We always observe legal guidelines, which, What induced GELITA to join the “Chemie3” however, vary from country to country. It is a In the Netherlands, GELITA built a gelatin (Chemistry3) sustainability initiative? matter of particular concern to us to comply factory in 2000, which was way ahead of GELITA already does a lot, but there is still with the requirements, which are becoming its time. What is special about this plant? much more to do. Although GELITA isn’t a ever stricter. Our goal is to even exceed these The plant has two particular features: We work typical chemical company like most others in regulations, which is reflected in our compa- there with a continuous, very fast extraction the association, it was important for us to ny’s internal standards. Our energy manage- method, and employ a special technique that join the initiative because we can still learn ment in Germany, for example, is based on makes better filtration possible than with a lot about sustainability through exchanges ISO 50001. Our aim is to achieve annual energy traditional methods. Both allow us to utilize with other member companies. savings of between 1 and 1.5% in all GELITA raw materials that we cannot process any- plants worldwide. We are constantly assessing where else. In addition, this technology enables How does GELITA assist other companies in ways to avoid waste, and how we can reduce us to produce special types of gelatin. What’s protecting the environment? the use of chemicals. Since production pro- still missing is a plant to fully exploit this Our standard products alone already provide cesses vary in each location, the measures advantage, so we will continue to invest in customers with the opportunity to do some- also differ. the future of our Dutch factory and further thing for the environment. Many customers, develop production so we can produce these for example, use our gelatin as a stabilizer special types. to extend shelf life. Our instant gelatin can “We are constantly be dissolved in cold water with little or zero How do your customers benefit if GELITA energy consumption. But we also offer assessing ways operates on a sustainable basis? special products such as NOVOTEC® CL800, to avoid waste.” Companies that fail to work sustainably have which replaces the oil in cooling lubricants no future. Taking sustainability very seriously with functional proteins, thus protecting the makes us a reliable partner over the long-term environment. for our customers. Apart from this, environ- The recycling economy is a major topic for mental aspects and economic factors force us How consistently do you take steps pri- the EU Commission. For GELITA, too? to continuously examine where waste occurs, vately to protect the environment and The recycling economy forms the basis of and where we can create added value. All buy sustainable products? our business. GELITA produces new products, avoided wastage also translates into an advan- I try to pay attention to sustainability issues. such as gelatin or collagen peptides, from tage for our customers, because this helps For example, I look for the FSC label when by-products of the meat industry, that our us to remain competitive and offer a good buying wood products. It isn’t always possible customers in turn process further. In addition, price-performance ratio for our products. because there is often a lack of necessary we are always on the lookout for new ways information to decide how sustainable a to use our by-products. In this way, animal What do you expect from your suppliers in product is. For example, Is a glass bottle minerals obtained in gelatin production serve terms of sustainability? better than a plastic bottle? The plastic as a phosphate supplier for fertilizer, which When buying new equipment and technology, product requires a lot of energy and is only then can be re-used to grow food for live- we don’t so much look at the price as at the used once. The glass bottle, however, requires stock. One example of a closed cycle is the fat lifecycle costs: at the energy consumption large amounts of water and chemicals for from pork rinds, which is used again in the of the plant, the maintenance frequency, and cleaning, and causes high transportation costs. nutrient chain for animals. Or the compost the long-term availability of spare parts. For this reason, I ask myself the question: system in Australia, with which we also close This eliminates all suppliers who do not think Do I really need the product? In this case, the circle completely. in the long-term. water from the tap would also be a solution. [4] “One of our great advantages: We have a global presence.” Michael Van Elsacker has been working at GELITA since 2013. He has been responsible as Global VP Operations for the production, maintenance and development of process control technologies since 2014. He previously spent 17 years working for the Belgian gelatin manufacturer PB. [5] Innovations New study on sarcopenia GELITA keeps you fit – even in old age Sarcopenia – the loss of muscle strength in old age – significantly impairs the quality of life. So far there are no medicines – but there is hope. A new study published in the “British Journal of Nutrition” shows that targeted strength training in conjunction with the use of the collagen peptide BODYBALANCE™, specially developed by GELITA, improves muscle strength. From the age of 50, people lose groups took part in the same supervised strength (+16.5 Newton meters as opposed 1 – 2% of muscle mass each year.

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