Biovet S.A. Laboratories, manufacturer of natural additives for animal feed, turns 35 years. In this piece of news, we highlight the events that took place between 1984 and 1987. Among them, it is worth emphasizing: the development of the first preservative for microorganisms’ control, in 1984, and the first commercial actions at international level.

Biovet S.A. was founded in 1984 and its headquarters were initially based in Burgaret Industrial Estate in Reus. With a new factory running, the first steps were taken towards the development of products to treat and prevent the main pathologies found in farms.

“The development of the first preservative, first international actions and the agreement with the Universidad Politecnica of Valencia, were the most prominent events in these years�

Precisely, it was at that time when Biovet signed an agreement with the Department of Biotechnology of the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, with which they undertook a joint venture in the research of preservatives. As a result of these first collaborations, a preservative to control feed and raw materials’ contaminant microorganisms – such as Salmonella, E.Coli, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Clostridium or Fusarium – was designed and marketed under the name of Alquermold Liquid.

“Dissemination of results in congresses and academies�

During these years, the company kept participating in several congresses to promote its products and maintained strong ties with academies and other institutions, where it gave lectures on its state-of-the-art research.

It was the case of Expoaviga 85, an aviculture business trade organized by Fira de Barcelona where Dr. Borrell, together with Joan Lull, gave the conference entitled ‘Prevention of respiratory processes in broilers for programmed use of antimicrobials and antibiotics: Health study and economic and the results‘.

Biovet also kept imparting educational courses at the Tarragona Veterinary College. It was there in 1986 where Dr. Borrell chaired the XV Conference on Continuing Education, which was centered on computer application in animal production. Simultaneously, Dr. Borrell kept collaborating with the Academy of Veterinary Sciences with the publication of an article in its journal on mycotoxins. In addition, in 1987 a collaboration with the Academy of Veterinary Sciences of Valencia came accompanied by a conference on swine pathology. The same year, Biovet participated in the Spanish-Portuguese congress where veterinary perspectives in the European Economic Community (ECC) were discussed.

Also in 1987, three papers carried out together with reasearchers from the Polytechnic University of Valencia were presented at the First National Biotechnology Meeting: ‘Optimum conditions for the production of an antibiotic substance by P. capsulatum’; ‘Variations in the culture medium of P. capsulatum in a pilot fermenter’; and ‘Activity against germs isolated from pathogenic processes of the extracts’.

“Exporting vocation�

In these first years of the company, the main activity was focused on the Iberian Peninsula but also it began to extend its business internationally.

Precisely because of that, in 1987 Dr. Borrell visited Karachi (Pakistan) to conduct field visits and necropsies in the PRI (Poultry Research Institute) laboratories with the aim of detecting the main problems affecting local birds.

It was also in 1987 when Dr. Borrell traveled to Venezuela to participate in the ‘First national days of poultry update‘, where he held a conference on ‘Mycosis and Mycotoxins in Veterinary Medicine’. The lecture was published by the magazine Porciven, which back at this time it was considered the outreach magazine of the Association of Swine Breeders of the Venezuelan state of Carabobo.

Finally, it was during this stage when Biovet registered its commercial name –granted on 1986– and the trademark Alquermes –granted on 1987.

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