Pocatello, ID Bio-tech firm, Global Food Technologies Inc. gets national attention

Global Food Technologies Inc., http://www.globalfoodtech.com a relatively new Pocatello business that says it will begin hiring at least 200 people by the end of 2003, continues to gain national and international attention.

By Sean Ellis – Journal Writer Pocatello Idaho State Journal

Stories about the business, which was basically unknown until it announced its local hiring plans a few weeks ago, have popped up on several major Web sites, including usatoday.com.

Local officials are excited about the prospects of the bio-tech company, which says it could hire up to 500 people in Pocatello within five years if things go well.

"They look like a great company to me. I’m excited about this opportunity," says Mayor Roger Chase.

GFT is a privately held bio-tech company targeting the food safety market. It existed quietly in Pocatello for three years, awaiting acceptance of three patents, which were recently approved.

The company is headquartered in Fresno, Calif. Its research and development center is located at 1656 Kraft Road in Pocatello.

The company initially will sell systems it says greatly reduce and in most cases completely eliminate disease-causing bacteria (pathogens) in seafood.

During a press conference in Pocatello April 25, the company unveiled a prototype of the system, SEABAC (SEAfood BACteria Elimination System).

Seafood processed through the SEABAC system helps companies protect themselves from expensive and damaging product recalls, company officials say. It also provides sales benefits to grocers by extending the shelf life of seafood.

Co-founder Keith Meeks says the company receives several phone calls and e-mails daily from people in the seafood industry.

"We’ve created something very special and unique," says Meeks, director of business development. "We really believe our (technology) will revolutionize the food processing industry."

Meeks says the Centers for Disease Control estimates 76 million Americans become sick from the food they eat each year. Of that number, 325,000 are hospitalized and 5,000 die.

"Obviously, the pathogens aren’t being killed sufficiently enough in the food processing," he says.

GFT also plans to produce similar systems to kill pathogens in poultry and meat.

The systems will be tested and manufactured in Pocatello.

Company officials say GFT aims to alleviate the global health and economic impact of food-related disease – the medical and lost productivity costs related to food-borne bacteria are estimated at $6.9 billion per year.

"With more than 4,100 seafood processors and handlers in the United States alone, GFT has a tremendous opportunity to change the way seafood is processed and improve upon today’s current methods, making seafood safer," says Mark Terry, Global co-founder and chief technical officer.

Terry, who invented the process, says the system is a quantum leap from today’s methods.

Under development for more than seven years, the SEABAC system includes surface cleaning with pH-controlled water and cellular matrix manipulation, cellular respiration and dormancy processes to eliminate food-borne bacteria.

SEABAC’s "smart-packaging" technology then covers the product with a protective wrap and creates a specifically modified environment, preventing further contamination and promoting better shelf-life of the product.

The only materials that make contact with seafood processed through the systems are water-based agents and an anti-microbial agent that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a no-rinse food sanitizer.

"We have created a process that is all natural, environmentally-friendly and free of harmful chemicals and irradiation," Terry says. "This sanitizer is colorless, odorless and tasteless, and when broken down, it essentially amounts to water and vinegar."

Company officials say they have terminated a brief association with Morgan Young, an investment services firm which has been associated with investor scams.

Global Food ended its relationship with Morgan Young in January and got a cease-and-desist order against the company. It notified its shareholders of the incident.

"We did have a brief association with (them)," Meeks says. "However, as soon as we heard of the rumors, we ended our relationship and haven’t looked back. It’s behind us now."

Bannock Development Corp. Executive Director Ray Burstedt said the fact that Global hired one of the world’s top public relations firms, Weber Shandwick, allayed any concerns he may have had over the Morgan Young incident.

Weber Shandwick is famous for developing the "Got Milk?" and the Hanes underwear ad campaigns.

"Having (Weber Shandwick) made a lot of difference to me," Burstedt says. "Companies like that don’t go into these things without checking things out."

Weber Shandwick officials told the Journal they checked Global Food’s background thoroughly and are satisfied there are no problems. They said they wouldn’t risk their own reputation by entering into a contract with a firm that didn’t check out.

Global Food Technologies Inc.

Officials of Global Food Technologies Inc., which plans to begin hiring 200 people here by the end of 2003, says it will start hiring at least 30 people within the next 90 days. If things go well for the business, it will hire up to 500 people to work at the company’s research and development facility on Kraft Road in Pocatello.

Initially, it will need specialty welders, fabricators, production laborers and electricians. Over the long haul, the company will need those positions plus technical writers for operations manuals, parts designers, office staff and shipping and receiving, inventory, accounting and quality control personnel.

For employment information, contact plant manager Blair Truman by e-mail at http://[email protected].

http://www.journalnet.com/articles/2003/04/30/news/local/news01.txt