Horphag confirms inventory availability despite French forest fires

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French Maritime Pine © Pack-Shot / Getty Images (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Forest fires sweeping the southwest of France are destroying vast acreage of Maritime Pine, the source of Horphag’s famous Pycnogenol pine bark extract. The company’s CEO tells us that raw material supply or production quality will not be impacted.

Over 20,000 hectares of forest had already been destroyed after wildfires swept through the southwest of France in July, and fires continue to rage in the region fanned by winds and temperatures of 40 °C (104 °F).

When asked about the impact on supply, Victor Ferrari, Horphag’s CEO, told us: “As we all can see, based on climate change, we are facing more and more forest fires around the world. This is the case all over Europe and North America in particular. The 2022 wildfires in southwest France, caused by extreme temperatures, have consumed between 2.5% and 3% of the 2.4 million acres of pine forest.”

“We do not foresee any impact on our raw material supply or production quality and have always an important strategic inventory on hand,” Ferrari added.

“To see these beautiful trees go up in flames, while damaging the livelihood of so many people is heartbreaking,” he said. “The men and women involved in fighting these fires are true heroes and deserve our highest respect and appreciation.”

Pycnogenol

The company's flagship ingredient Pycnogenol is a combination of procyanidins, bioflavonoids and organic acids extracted from the bark of the maritime pine.

The ingredient has been the subject of scores of clinical studies for 40 years, with data suggesting benefits covering everything from cardiovascular, joint, cognitive and eye health to sports nutrition, relief of hay fever, PMS, tinnitus, hemorrhoidal pain and menopause symptoms.

Pycnogenol is available in more than 1,000 dietary supplements, cosmetic products and functional foods and beverages worldwide.