"Our Mission? To make the power of plants accessible to everyone!"
Interview with Dr. Andreas Raab, Managing Director of Raab Vitalfood GmbH
For 35 years, Raab Vitalfood GmbH has been developing and distributing plant-based dietary supplements of organic quality, consistently relying on a science-based approach. This has been further strengthened since 2013 by Managing Director Dr. Andreas Raab, a micro- and molecular biologist with a long background in research and development. He discussed current product innovations among other topics with Wirtschaftsforum.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Dr. Raab, in 1989 your uncle founded Raab Vitalfood GmbH, which even at that time was fully committed to plant-based dietary supplements in organic quality — long before the word 'vegan' became fashionable!
Dr. Andreas Raab: When it comes to the term 'vegan', one should differentiate a bit from my perspective — because it is often used in common language to describe plant-based alternatives to animal products, such as in the form of meat or cheese substitutes. I am not particularly convinced by this approach, because the result, due to the high degree of processing of these foods, often has little to do with the natural raw materials. Our philosophy has been quite different since the founding impulse of our company: We want to harness the power of plants and thus make their beneficial effects available to all people. Already in 1990, in the first year of our existence, we presented our plant-based dietary supplements at the first organic trade fair in Ludwigshafen, the largest organic trade fair in the world to this day, and we have been represented there every year since then.
Wirtschaftsforum: How does your approach differ from your competitors?
Dr. Andreas Raab: Since the early days of our company, we have relied on in-house production of our products and have developed a correspondingly extensive value chain depth – this allowed us to maintain full control over the safety and quality of our products from the beginning. Additionally, for 35 years we have been sourcing our raw materials ourselves within a broad network of proven suppliers. Our corresponding depth of knowledge is naturally an important basis for our consistent product innovations.
Wirtschaftsforum: What innovations are currently the focus of attention in your industry?
Dr. Andreas Raab: The topic of longevity is not only high on the agenda of dietary supplement manufacturers, but also, for example, among large global tech corporations – for obvious reasons: Because if one discovers a way to significantly extend lifespan while maintaining good health, one holds, so to speak, the Holy Grail of health research. However, the scientific basis has been established, as the molecular and cellular causes and correlations that make us age, known as the ‘12 Hallmarks of Aging’, are now quite well understood by the scientific community.
Wirtschaftsforum: Which Raab Vitalfood products are currently particularly popular?
Dr. Andreas Raab: The most successful new product in recent years has undoubtedly been our electrolyte powder, in which we have been able to combine potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, and chloride in one product. True to our conviction, we consistently avoid additives such as flavors or sugar substitutes – we do not mask the slightly salty taste, but fully commit to a natural form in this context as well. Additionally, polyunsaturated marine fatty acids continue to see high demand – traditionally sourced from fish oil, they originate from algae and end up in fish primarily because fish consume the algae. However, it is now also possible to cultivate the algae in fermenters; thus, we need not harvest them from their natural environment, which also avoids potential contamination from pollutants.
Wirtschaftsforum: Before you started your involvement with Raab Vitalfood in 2013, you worked as a research director at a biotechnology company. What significance does your background as a molecular and microbiologist have for your current role?
Dr. Andreas Raab: We have always taken a very scientific approach in our product development and always scrutinize the current literature with special attention – we would therefore never bring a product to market that we are not convinced of scientifically. I am therefore pleased to rely on a strong team of seasoned ecotrophologists, food scientists, and people from many other disciplines. Not least thanks to our ambitious approach, we are also attractive to the corresponding professionals. With a female representation of 80%, our workforce also reflects our core target group – as the topic of conscious nutrition still seems to be more relevant for women than for men.