Time to Turn over a New Leaf?

By A. J. Speight

An Anglo American Green Venture – a big idea?

Two companies from different sides of the Atlantic, UTO Ltd from the UK and Green Earth Naturally (GEN) LLC based in Virginia USA, are to collaborate in developing environmentally green projects, mainly in the Agri-Food chain. UTO Director, Ted Dickin announced the development recently and commented; “The origins of my company go back 25 years and we were developing Organic and environmentally friendly ideas, before it became fashionable. The link with Green Earth will broaden our joint portfolio. The Environment does not recognise man made barriers and neither do we. What were the origins of each company?

Why Organic is important?

The growth in the UK and the US of Organic food reflects the public’s concern over the many food safety issues of the last 20 years most notably Salmonella in Eggs (1988) and BSE (1996).  Recent outbreaks in processed meats, lettuce and other vegetables and in fruits in the US have added apprehension to the American consumer.

Genetically Modified crops and E.Coli 0157 added to the perception that natural Organic Food was not only a safe haven but better for the environment and human nutrition. These are contentious issues openly debated by leading scientists.

What is absolutely certain is that the organic movement has changed our society’s thinking about the Food Chain and that Human health could partly depend on the care we take of animals, crops and the environment.

UTO Environmental Products Ltd (UTOEP Ltd) (UK)
UTO under Ted Dickin goes back over 20 years to the time when Ted was working with Farmers and Veterinarians on understanding how Livestock health could be improved naturally. The anecdotes start with racing pigeons and working dogs, but ultimately the blueprint of the company was created when Poultry health and diets became the focus.

By way of contrast, during this period, the seed corn of Green Earth Naturally LLC (USA) was being created.

GEN is a newly formed company (2008), created from three existing companies with more than 30 years experience in environmental sustainability projects. Key personnel have over 120 years combined experience in this field.

GEN under President and Owner Deborah “Deb” Oyler, BA, MT, MS represents the great innovative culture of the USA. The potential is to apply good science to a wide range of environmental issues and to harness the best of European and American ideas. Deb has known Ted Dickin and UTO Ltd for many years and comments “there is a natural empathy and shared philosophy between the two companies”. Their first project together, a fuel saver, has huge potential both environmentally and through cost savings.

There is a sizeable environmental catalogue, starting with UTO Ltd

Poultry Health Care
Ted Dickin worked on improving bird health and performance initially identifying metabolic indicators such as vitamin and mineral status in key carcase components, later supported by many on-farm trials and millions of chick samples. The following ranges are now sold:-

Orgamin™- a mineral trace element supplement has been used to replace meat and bone meal (post BSE) with remarkable results. Tests on 7.5 million chicks have shown a reduction in Feed Conversion Rates (FCR) from 1.845 to 1.755 and mortality from 5.35 to 3.7% with a gross margin of 18.4 % gained. Similar work on breeders improved hen performance by an extra 8.6 chicks. Orgamin™ is now a base ingredient in the majority of the UK breeder diets and is also reported to be having a huge impact in improving performance of the resulting chicks. In the UK 75% of the broiler breeder diets now incorporate Orgamin™.  It is also relevant to other species, such as, layers, Turkeys, pigs etc.

Herban™ - a digestive enhancer based on herb extracts was trialled on two equivalent groups of 4,000 young Turkeys, at 13 weeks the trial group produced a 55% reduction in mortality and 15% gain in growth. Many papers have supported the protective use of herbs in animal diets and the introduction of ‘Botanicals’ is a major trend in human nutrition and foodstuffs.

Plant Health Care
As with livestock, experts recognise that stress, dietary imbalance and a weakened immune system all expose plants to pest and microbial challenge. A new Plant Health product range based on specific seaweed extracts which restores vigour without chemically damaging the environment will extend the UTOEP Ltd catalogue this summer. In many ways this replicates the Orgamin™ development and provision of trace elements supporting plant metabolism and health.

Typical results on maize trials at two separate farms gave plus16% and 13% yield improvements respectively per hectare. For Green house tomatoes yield was improved by 16% without reducing the degrees Brix (and hence flavour) or firmness. In both examples, there was a reduction in fertiliser usage as an added benefit, with reduction in costs, reductions in non point source runoff into streams and waterways and reductions in creation of greenhouse gases from these high cost petroleum based products.

Environmental Care
UTOEP Ltd are actively developing an Ecological Cleaning range based on Organic ingredients.
The EnviroCyte™ - Cleaning and Sanitising products based on natural plant extract bioflavonoids have application to the Agri-food sector which is still very heavily dependent on chemical based disinfection such as chlorine. These will be kinder to the environment and to people they are anti-microbial, non bio-cumulative stable, easy to use and comply with the EU Biocide Products Directive which aims to reduce the number of active chemical substances used in cleaning the Agri-food environment.

Typical microbiological results (at 2% conc. for 5mins contact time):
For Listeria monocyte. (challenged at 3.0 x log 8) gave a 7.0 log kill. Similarly for Salmonella typhi a 7.1 log kill, Aspergillus niger a 6.5 log kill and likewise for cultures of other significant pathogenic and spoilage organisms. These ranges effectively provide a more natural care of the Food chain and environment, without the use of chemicals potentially detrimental to human health.

Moving on to GEN LLC:

Ms. Oyler has been instrumental in development of bio-remedial technology for petroleum and other chlorinated organics, metals, grease and oils degradation, and discovered a niche in the agricultural fields. Products have been developed for reduction of ammonia in housing and processing plants, reduction of solids and BOD in lagoons, and improving animal habitat and health.  Additionally, GEN has developed several organic feed additives, such as, amino acids.

And the big projects:

Fuel Saver
UTO Ltd is collaborating with Green Earth Naturally LLC on Opti-Diesel a fuel additive which improves engine efficiency via a combination of catalysts dissolved into a solvent carrier. The material has the ability to form free radicals at low temperatures and reduce multi–pollutants from the combustion of fossil and bio-fuels.
  
Apart from the fuel cost saving, there is an environmental benefit with reduced emissions and carbon footprint. UK trials are underway aimed at the half million diesel fleet vehicles in the country. Results on previous trials in Canada during 2006, over a five week period, gave an aggregate 16.95% fuel saving on a paired comparison of test and control vehicles. Opti- Diesel delivers a more complete burn of the fuel and reduces exhaust emissions, for example smoke, and the green house gases Nitrogen oxides (NOx), Carbon monoxide (CO), Hydrocarbons and particulates. At this level of improved performance the environmental benefit and cost savings are significant, net diesel cost savings, for example in UK and Europe would exceed 10%.

Equally the second project, Nanotechnology, has huge potential to the Agri-food sector, but at this moment without direct food contact.

Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the use of substances on a very small scale – 100 nanometres or smaller. There is potential in many industries, including painting and coating applications with potential benefits ranging from energy saving to aesthetic and labour saving. The technique which can be applied to most surfaces for example tiles, glass, wood, and concrete, depends on reducing the surface charge to zero and then applying Nano particles.  In Amsterdam the application of Nanotechnology silver particles onto an outside skating rink reduced “cryogenic loss” and hence reduced energy costs by 25%. There is interest in doing the same to the external surfaces of cold stores, or glass houses.

Other coatings include nanotechnology PTFE which can not only improve aesthetic appearance but reduce the frequency of cleaning and hence save labour. Retail spaces are to be tested, for example public areas, external surfaces, floors.

Coming back to the big idea?
‘Man made’ has almost become a pejorative term…..often not complimentary. Man made problems! Man made barriers! The planet Earth is enduringly robust and hard wearing.  All of the waters of the world are joined up as is our atmosphere and climate. Our individual actions have a global consequence. Companies working together to apply science to the two big issues of today ie. Health (be it plant, animal or man) and Environment (particularly climate change) just makes sense!

It’s time to ‘turn over a new leaf ‘!

About the author:
Alan J. Speight qualified at the University of Surrey in Nutrition & Food Science in 1969, before joining HJ Heinz and then Marks & Spencer as a Food Technologist, was Head of European Food Development for M&S during the 1980's. In the late 1990's chaired a Joint Industry Academic Group at The University of Cambridge working on Food Chain safety issues. The group was instrumental in the introduction of Salmonella vaccination in Poultry. Alan was contracted as Advisor to the UK Food Standards Agency for 5 years up until 2007. He has wide experience of global food and agricultural sectors and frequently speaks at International meetings, most recently in Brazil. Now works as a consultant, EU International Advisor and Technical Director of UTO Ltd.

Contact UTOEP Ltd:
E: info@utorganics.co.uk, T: + 44 (0) 1422 349118, F: +44 (0) 1422 349120

Contact GEN LLC:
E: info@greenearthnaturally.com, T: + 1 919-754-8790, F: + 1 919-833-3556