Spirulina: A beneficial nutritional supplement
• Two production plants located in the province of Mayabeque manufacture this beneficial supplement

Lisandra Díaz Padrón

PERHAPS few people have heard of Spirulina. Those who are familiar with the supplement may not have tried it. Others may take it, but don’t know how it is produced.

On the outskirts of San José de las Lajas, in the area known as Zaragoza, several products are manufactured using Spirulina platensis, a microscopic blue-green algae which synthesizes considerable amounts of high quality vegetable protein.

Once the use of this algae as a nutritional supplement was discovered, the country invested in the human resources and infrastructure needed to produce quantities needed by athletes and health institutions, leading to the creation of the production unit (UEB) Spirulina Jaruco to grow the algae, and the Zaragoza, plant to manufacture derivative products.

From the beginning and to date, Spirulina products are produced solely in these facilities. The Jaruco plant has all needed technology and 5,000 square meters of tank space devoted to cultivation of the algae, which is processed and transported to Zaragoza. There the raw material is used to produce 100% natural Spirulina Spirel and is also combined with other natural products such as jalea real, noni, ginseng and vitamin C, to manufacture five other supplements.

Every year, the small plant – part of the Natural Products Production and Sales Company Genix-Labiofam – produces some 31,000 bottles of Spirulina which are distributed to stores for sales in CUC and to the national pharmacy chain where it is available by prescription, at a more affordable price.

BENEFITS

Spirulina has significant nutritional and caloric value. Research indicates that it is most often consumed by athletes, students and business-people, given its energizing properties.

Scientific studies have shown that the regular use of nutritional supplements based on Spirulina provides children, the elderly and convalescents a natural source of energy. It prevents malnutrition given the multiple vitamins it contains, provides an appropriate treatment for anemia and stimulates the immune system.

Other benefits attributed to the microscopic algae include reducing the development of malignant tumors, signs of early aging and cholesterol. It additionally contributes to regulating blood sugar, promoting healthy intestinal bacteria to facilitate digestion and improving circulation, although Spirulina is most commonly consumed as part of a weight control diet, Vargas reported.

PROGRESS

The level of development reached would not have been possible without the support of the state enterprise Labiofam. Genix, which has always produced Spirulina first emerged attached to the Ministry of Agriculture in 1996. Until it was incorporated into Labiofam, the renowned producer of biopharmaceuticals, Spirulina was entirely subsidized by the state. Genix was not self-financing and no entity provided investment. The highest income it ever reported was only 1.5 million pesos.

"For a long time, we were working with very limited infrastructure, with an extremely inefficient drying system which allowed for contamination of our production. Nevertheless, this way we stayed afloat, developed the Shaman cosmetic line, based on Spirulina extracts, but we remained a very small company, without any financing whatsoever," recalled Niurka León Alonso, adjunct director of Genix-Labiofam.

With the Labiofam merger, the company has been able to grow, not only monetarily, but in the number of product lines as well.

"From six supplements and 18 cosmetics produced and distributed by Genix, we went to an indeterminant number, since we are still taking on production that was dispersed within Labiofam facilities. Today the Green Medicine Laboratory VIMANG is ours, plus five agricultural production units and the Cienfuegos glucose plant," the director reported.

The company is perfecting its work to fulfill demanding production goals, to contribute to human well-being and to the development of Genix-Labiofam. Its portfolio of products was expanded with the acquisition of 10 more supplements based on honey, propolis, majagua, and other compounds; medicinal creams and cosmetics, goods which are distributed domestically and exported, as well.