THE UPDATE
from
DOWN UNDER
Keep up-to-date with our latest news, tips, product updates, special offers, and more.
APRIL 2021
G’day mate,
It has been a busy month at Down Under Enterprises!
We are pleased to announce that we have been awarded a Platinum Sustainability rating in only our second year with EcoVadis. This is the result of an incredible amount of hard work, dedication, and perseverance by all team members involved in embracing our sustainability initiatives at the heart of our operations. Well done team!
Our global WEBINAR SERIES also commences in April, starting with a Global Tea Tree Market Review. Register below to get the inside scoop on market conditions direct from leading Australian Tea Tree farmers and industry experts.
In addition, we are finalizing the addition of more oils to our portfolio of native Australian botanicals. Stay connected to our monthly newsletters and on LinkedIn to be the first to know.
While all of this has been happening, we have completed a move to larger offices to accommodate our growing team! We will be sharing some photos and updates soon – connect with us on LinkedIn to check out our new digs.
Thanks for reading.
Sincerely,
Phil Prather
IN THE NEWS
Webinar on the Global Tea Tree Market
We have compiled a Tea Tree Market Report which covers the harvest for 2021 and projected pricing and volumes 2023. The report will be delivered as a webinar and will cover key information on the use and distribution of Tea Tree Oil to key global markets. Our expert panel will cover current Tea Tree growing conditions, volume trends for 2022 and 2023, and exciting market development initiatives that will profoundly change the use of Tea Tree Oil – especially in regulated industries around the world.
The webinar panel will be comprised of industry experts including Mr Tony Larkman, the CEO of the Australian Tea Tree Industry Association (ATTIA). Tony will provide commentary on forecasted harvest volumes as well as potential market risks. Our very own experts, Dee-Ann and Phil, will review the current growing conditions in Australia and will provide comment on anticipated changes to the current supply and global demand situation.
In addition, there are many market expansion projects in the pipeline for Australian Tea Tree Oil, including industry commissioned scientific research, COVID-19 trials, adulteration and traceability programs, regulatory submissions, and government funded market research initiatives.
The webinar will be delivered live from Australia and a recording will be available to registrants. During the webinar there will be an opportunity for a live Q&A with our panel.
The webinar will be delivered in 3 sessions and with real time captions (subtitles) to best accommodate your local language and time zone preference.
Date: Wednesday: 28 April2021
Webinar Name: Tree Oil Market Update
Webinar 1: Paris 10am, Beijing 4pm, Sydney 6pm
Webinar 2: San Francisco 12pm, New York 3pm, Sydney 5am (Thu 29 April)
Webinar 3: San Francisco 5pm, Beijing 8am (Thu 29 April), Sydney 10am (Thu 29 April)
Click the below button to secure your place on this webinar. We look forward to seeing you soon.
FARM UPDATES
Harvest of Tea Tree started on Buhlambar
The Tea Tree Market has experienced significant changes in demand in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The demand for Tea Tree Oil saw our previous year's supply fully allocated by March 2020 and our July 2020 harvest allocated within a month of release.
The 2020 harvest recorded all-time high production volumes, reported by The Australian Tea Tree Industry Association (ATTIA) for 2020. In 2021 we could see another record year for the industry if climatic conditions permit.
However, recent droughts and now floods are not making life easy for Australian farmers. Extreme rainfall on the east coast of Australia in March 2021, and twin tropical cyclones hitting the west coast in rapid succession in April 2021 has led to widespread flooding and damage. While our farm was safe, the wet is affecting many growing regions.
In fact, Down Under Enterprises invested in additional plantings to ensure our global demand is met. Our new harvest has commenced, and the progression of the remaining Australian harvest will depend on a drying of the weather to enable equipment onto fields.
Tune into our webinar on 28 April to get up to date information on the 2021 Tea Tree harvest and market.
TRACEABILITY
Tea Tree Growers – and friends
This month we are thrilled to introduce you to Rodney and Michael, two of our longest standing growers of Tea Tree Oil.
While Down Under Enterprises was founded to distribute the Tea Tree Oil from our family’s (parents, brother, our own) farms, we also support a close and regular network of 15 other growers of Tea Tree Oil to supply our customers globally. We take this responsibility seriously, as each of these growers depend upon us to distribute their oil production each year. Rodney and Michael have been with us for over 15 years. Thanks guys!
EMPLOYEE PROFILE
Matt is our Quality and Logistics Coordinator based in Sydney who's leadership contributed to our sustainability achievements.
What is your role at Down Under Enterprises?
Logistics and Quality Coordinator, a role I’ve occupied for the last 3 years. As part of that role, I manage the shipping and logistics of our products globally. Within my quality role I’m responsible for coordinating our company audits, including Certified Organic, Halal, ISO, ATTIA Code of Practice, and most recently EcoVadis.
I also produce many of the regulatory and quality documents that support our products and assist our customers with their own regulatory and quality processes.
What did you do before joining the team at Down Under? I previously worked in Logistics and Quality for an Australian B2B telecommunications provider for 6 years. Prior to that I worked for the State Government, Department of Environment supporting various sustainability initiatives including green loans and insulation programs, as well as a program to supply solar panels to schools across the state.
What led you to want to work in the natural products industry? I’m a big fan of natural products and try my best to integrate them into my daily life. At Down Under Enterprises, we supply a large variety of natural ingredients that are utilized in the personal care industry and other sectors, and I wanted to be a part of a growing company where I could contribute to that.
What do you love most about what you do? At Down Under Enterprises, I get to work with a great team of diverse people who support each other. Being able to see the company and the team grow over the last 3 years has been a great experience, and I’m proud to be part of this team.
What’s your favorite way to spend the weekend? I enjoy spending time with my son, my family, and friends. I also enjoy playing the piano, guitar. I regularly go rock climbing on weekends. I’m a huge fan of sports and religiously follow F1 racing, rugby, and football (soccer).
SUSTAINABILITY
Platinum Ecovadis Awarded to Down Under Enterprises
We are beyond thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a Platinum Sustainability rating by EcoVadis in only our second year of assessment.
This places Down Under Enterprises in the top 1 percent of all sustainable businesses, over 75,000 globally, which are formally audited by EcoVadis each year.
EcoVadis is the world’s most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, intelligence, and collaborative performance improvement tools for global supply chains. EcoVadis helps us independently evaluate our progress towards our UN Sustainable Development Goals and our commitments as a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact.
To view an interactive graphic of the UN Global goals we have achieved, click here.
SCIENTIFIC PAPER
Tea Tree Oil formulation equivalent to Triclosan
Hand hygiene is a key measure for the prevention of Healthcare-associated infections. A recently published paper details an investigation comparing hand hygiene in a clinical setting using soaps containing either Tea Tree Oil (TTO) (2%), Triclosan (0.5%), and Chlorhexidine (2.0%).
The authors also surveyed medical professionals on their perceptions of the soaps tested.
All three actives demonstrated effective antimicrobial action, with a log10 reduction of 4.18 for TTO, 4.31 for triclosan, and 3.89 for Chlorhexidine.
Triclosan and TTO soaps were found most effective, more than the chlorhexidine containing soap.
Surveyed Medical Respondents averaged 44 years of age, with an average 17.8 years of professional clinical experience. Survey results concluded healthcare workers perceived the TTO soap offered a more pleasant aroma and was non-drying on the skin.
FEATURED PRODUCT
Australian Tea Tree Oil
For many years, formulators looking for a safe and effective natural have relied upon pure Australian Tea Tree Oil – and for good reasons.
Tea Tree Oil is safe for a wide range of personal care applications. A recent CIRS Expert Panel investigated Tea Tree Oil and found it to be safe as used in a draft final report. More on this review will be published in one of our upcoming Newsletters once the final report is published.
A market survey of over 2,500 European consumers conducted by the Australian Tea Tree Industry Association reported strong product recognition of Australian Tea Tree Oil. Consumers responded that Tea Tree Oil was the most widely used essential oil in personal care formulations. European consumers chose Tea Tree-containing products for its antibacterial effects (45%) and anti-inflammatory properties (27%).
Oral Care Potential
Tea Tree Oil also holds FEMA GRAS status, making it a favorite for a wide range of Oral Care applications. For example, in a published study, Tea Tree Oil was found to be at least as effective as Chlorhexidine in mouthwash, and with fewer side-effects. To explore more oral care functionality and clinical evidence, download our Whitepaper - Tea Tree Oil – Oral Care.
Skin Sensitivities?
While some dermatologists have expressed concerns about Tea Tree Oil’s impact on skin sensitivity and irritation, studies using only pure – not adulterated – Tea Tree Oil have found a 0% incidence of sensitivity of Tea Tree Oil formulations at concentrations of 10% or less, as reported in an Australian Government sponsored, independent research report, "Skin Sensitivity Testing for Tea Tree Oil". An overall sensitivity rate (including neat oil application) of only 0.016% has been reported in regulatory adverse event reporting data. The topic of skin sensitivity and irritancy was also discussed extensively in the recent CIRS Expert Panel Review.
Medicinal applications for Tea Tree Oil including acne, athletes foot, anti-itch (pruritic), skin tags, and feminine care are also an exciting area for formulators to explore. To learn more about these applications, download our Whitepaper – Tea Tree Oil, Medicinal Care.
More exciting market development work is currently underway, sponsored by both the Australian Tea Tree Industry Association (ATTIA) and the Australian Government (AgriFutures) which is expected to largely expand the validation and regulatory approvals of pure Australian Tea Tree Oil. Attend one of our upcoming Global Webinar sessions to hear about these activities first hand from Industry Experts.
