BLT
11/10/2012 14:07
GENERAL
REL: 1407 HRS BLIS Technologies Limited
GENERAL: BLT: BLIS Tecnologies Ltd joins forces The Salvation Army
BLIS Technologies Ltd joins forces with The Salvation Army on war against
childhood disease.
Dunedin based, BLIS Technologies Ltd (NZX: BLT) and The Salvation Army have
joined forces to fight the battle against tonsillitis and rheumatic fever,
which generally affects children and has been reaching levels within New
Zealand only seen in the third world.
In a recent announcement, BLIS Technologies Ltd has advised that it has
teamed up with The Salvation Army to provide young children and their
families in the Otago and Southland with free throat probiotic lozenges.
These lozenge are the same as those sold in the retail pharmacy and over the
internet; BLIS K12 Throat Guard.
According to BLIS Technologies, these probiotic lozenges contain a beneficial
but yet powerful stain of probiotic bacteria called BLIS K12. Professor John
Tagg from the Department of Microbiology at the University of Otago, first
discovered this strain of probiotic bacteria nearly 20 years ago.
Professor Tagg, who as a child, suffered from rhematic fever after acquiring
a case of tonsillitis, dedicated much of his academic life to exploring ways
to fight this disease. He examined why certain people were less susceptible
to this type of infection than others. Prof Tagg discovered that some (but
not all) of the natural and beneficial bacteria that live in the mouth and
throat have developed novel and specialised methods to defend against other
bacterial invaders. He later discovered that BLIS K12 was one such strain of
specialised bacteria and could protect against those disease-producing
bacteria known to cause tonsillitis and rheumatic fever in some children.
Earlier this year, BLIS Technologies Ltd agreed to join with The Salvation
Army in Dunedin to supply lozenges containing this BLIS K12 probiotic to
children and their families in the lower South Island, who The Salvation Army
determined are in need of additional welfare and likely to be at higher risk
from tonsillitis. It appears that lack of home heating and poorer quality
nutrition contribute to more frequent infections in children. It is thought
that children in these families were likely to be at higher risk from winter
throat infection and could benefit from supporting their immune system
throughout the year.
BLIS Technologies Ltd is preparing to donate a number of lozenges based on
sales from their Internet business. (www.blis.co.nz).The greater the Internet
sales are for the Throat Guard range of products, the higher the number of
lozenges that can be provided to The Salvation Army for distribution. Over
the next 12 months, it is hoped that this project will supply BLIS K12
lozenges to roughly 100 children, every day for a year.
Both BLIS Technologies Ltd and The Salvation Army have stated that if this
programme works successfully, it could potentially be rolled out to other
regions of New Zealand which are known to have high rates of rheumatic fever.
Spokesperson for BLIS Technologies Ltd, Mr Mukesh Kumar said "We are very
excited to partner with The Salvation Army and to take on a project that
promotes health for those who need it most, because we are just a small New
Zealand company and we simply could not take on a project like this by
ourselves. BLIS Technologies has been retailing our probiotic product in
pharmacy for the past 10 years and we have had great support from consumers
and the public, so the management and board decided it was time to
acknowledge that support and give back to the people of New Zealand."
Mr Kumar indicated that The Salvation Army would start providing children
that it determines are in need with BLIS K12 probiotic at the end of October,
giving each child a months supply of lozenges at a time. "The dosage is just
one lozenge per day and these are either sucked or slowly chewed and it is as
easy as that". Kumar advised.
YOUR CONTACT:
Mukesh Kumar | ?BLIS Technologies Limited ?PO Box 56, Dunedin ?P: 03 4798954
Shane Chisholm | Territorial Public Relations Director ?The Salvation Army
New Zealand, Fiji & Tonga Territory ?Territorial Headquarters | 202-204 Cuba
Street, Wellington 6011 ?PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141 ?P: 04
382 0744 | M: 027 449 4540
End CA:00228348 For:BLT Type:GENERAL Time:2012-10-11 14:07:54
