The Voice of New Zealand Industry
Natural Health Products NZ (formerly Natural Products NZ) is a national industry organisation representing the natural products, functional foods, complementary medicines, cosmeceuticals, and nutraceuticals industries.
We were established in 2002 by industry and with support of the New Zealand Government’s business and export development agency, New Zealand Trade & Enterprise. Our mandate is as follows:
- Maximise the industry’s competitive advantage by building upon its significant and growing contribution to New Zealand’s economy
- Increase New Zealand’s international profile, enhance its reputation as a source of high quality natural products and represent the industry at international trade fairs and conferences
- Facilitate the growth and development of a vibrant, collaborative and innovative industry
- Provide a cohesive and consistent national voice for the New Zealand industry, representing members at all levels including communications with government, media, industry commentators and related professional bodies
- Advocate for workable regulation
- Promote natural health products’ recognised complementary role in health management and support
- Ensure the industry maintains high product quality, safety and efficacy standards
The New Zealand Natural Products Industry
New Zealand’s historical focus on agriculture and food production, its natural environment, and wealth of unique resources have combined to create a lucrative and growing natural health and nutraceuticals sector.
From harnessing the antibacterial properties of mānuka honey, to research and development that has identified a bioactive in New Zealand grown boysenberries to assist with lung health, the country has a long track record of identifying and utilising the medicinal and nutritional uses of natural products.
Exports include mussel extract powder, plant and marine oils, kiwifruit-based specialised ingredients, berry fruit powders and concentrates, natural honey products, deer velvet, skincare, botanical and dairy products.
New Zealand’s natural products industry is worth NZ$2.3 billion annually and growing, with major markets already established in Asia and North America, and a developing presence in Europe. Stringent processing and food export regulations, and a commitment to maintaining New Zealand’s world leading animal health status, underpin the expanding sector.
Natural Health Products NZ People
Kerry Warn
GENERAL MANGER
Natural Health Products NZ
Kerry is responsible for managing the organisation’s day-to-day operations and member support activities including the annual Summit, annual industry Awards, Natural Health Products NZ Suppliers Days and member communications. She was promoted to the General Manager role in early 2017 after having been the organisation’s Business Manager.
Before joining Natural Health Products NZ in 2013, Kerry previously enjoyed a 15-year career in the advertising industry, working in large multinational agencies in Auckland and London.
Samantha Gray
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DIRECTOR
Natural Health Products NZ
BioEquitas Ltd
Samantha, a molecular biologist by training, has over 20 years’ experience in the natural health products, pharmaceutical, medical diagnostic, and biotechnology industries. She was Technical and Process Improvement Manager for Healtheries of New Zealand and an independent consultant to Vitaco Health NZ Ltd and Lifestream International Ltd. She has also held a variety of roles with the US blue-chip companies Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Diagnostics & Invitrogen Life Technologies.
As Managing Director of BioEquitas Ltd, she directs a consultancy specialising in the provision of scientific, research and development, new product development, regulatory, technical troubleshooting, due diligence and management consulting services, to the dietary supplements, health food and biotechnology industries.
Lorraine Moser
Chair, Spokesperson
Natural Health Products NZ
Vitaco Health LTD
Nearly two decades in the natural health industry has given Lorraine a wealth of knowledge, experience and contacts in the New Zealand, Australian and export markets.
Lorraine originally began her natural products career with Nutra-Life Health as Marketing and Sales Manager. During this time she played an active role in Australia and New Zealand’s natural health industry and retail trade including being a member of the Complimentary Healthcare Council (CHC) of Australia and the Self Medication Industry Association. In more recent years she been Vitaco’s Innovation Manager for supplements, sports and food. She has been part of the Natural Health Products NZ Board since 2016.
Lorraine is passionate about proactive health and wellness and the natural health industry. She uses her Natural Health Products NZ Board role to work with the membership and extended industry partners in a capacity that will make a difference and ultimately help tackle the challenges and opportunities that face the industry.
DR ROD CLAYCOMB
QUANTEC LTD
Dr Rod Claycomb is the Co-Founder and Innovation Director of Quantec Ltd, a New Zealand company specialising in the development and commercialisation of high value naturally derived bioactives. He has an extensive background in the dairy industry, filling roles from pure and applied research through commercialisation. Prior to Quantec, he was the founding CEO of Sensortec Ltd and prior to that, the Director of R&D for Waikato Milking Systems.
He is a Member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and currently serves as a Director on several commercial boards as well as a Director and Trustee of the Kudos Science Trust and All Good Ventures Charitable Trust, a family-run charity. His areas of expertise include bioactives, biosensors, agritechnology and commercialisation. He holds a PhD from the University of California, Davis in Biological and Agricultural Engineering. He is the author of numerous publications and inventor on seven patent families.
Rod is passionate about New Zealand’s place in the world for natural health-related companies and believes that it can continue to be influential on a global scale which will help New Zealand natural health companies succeed. He is a firm believer in continuing a collaborative approach with government agencies and organisations, which he sees as one of New Zealand’s core strengths.
Michelle Cubitt
Smart Regulatory Solutions
Michelle has over 15 years experience in Quality and Regulatory roles in the natural health industry. She studied Biotechnology at Massey University and graduated with honours.
Michelle currently runs her own regulatory consultancy Smart Regulatory Solutions. In her current role she provides advice and strategic input for businesses looking to access global export opportunities in food, natural health and personal care products. She brings extensive global regulatory knowledge to the Natural Health Products NZ Board. Michelle sees the range of opportunities and challenges facing New Zealand businesses and is passionate about assisting the continued global growth of the innovative natural products sector.
CHRIS JOHNSON
ANAGENIX
A founding Anagenix director and investor, Chris is an experienced investor and business advisor who understands the path to success in the nutraceutical ingredients market. Before joining Anagenix, he assisted a number of New Zealand businesses to successfully export premium gourmet foods to the USA and UK. He also founded and grew a New Zealand tech company to become a global leader in the printing and graphic arts industry.
With his time at Anagenix, Chris has become passionate about the health and wellness sector and developing solutions from New Zealand grown bioactives that can deliver beneficial solution to health.
Chris has been on a number of boards either as Chairman or Director and understands the importance of good governance and working collaboratively with the management team. He brings to the Natural Health Products NZ Board first-hand experience of growing a New Zealand-based company in the natural products sector and the issues and challenges that companies encounter
PETER LEHRKE
PHARMANZ
As a biochemist and nutritionist Peter has extensive technical, R&D, manufacturing and general management experience in the foods, pharmaceuticals, supplements and cosmetics industries, bringing more than 30 years of industry experience to the Board.
His career began at Glaxo Pharmaceuticals where he developed generic medicines and then managed the tablet manufacturing department. From there Peter moved to animal health formulation development for Nufarm (now Agenta), and then to Douglas Pharmaceuticals. It was here that Peter led the design and project team for a $9 million pharmaceutical facility in Fiji, which he commissioned, obtained GMP certification and established the operations. After returning to New Zealand Peter set up technical consulting company Pharmatech, and held positions as General Manager at GMP Pharmaceuticals and R&D Manager at NIG.
Peter has now established a new contract manufacturing factory in Hamilton called PharmaNZ Limited, specialising in dry oral dosage forms (capsules, tablets and powders) with a full range of powder packing options.
Peter has been on the Natural Health Products NZ Board since 2003.
RAVINESH KUMARAN
GMP PHARMACEUTICALS LTD
Ravi was born in Fiji and immigrated to New Zealand in 2005. He has three children aged 10, 8 and 3 years. Ravi is an experienced and recognised leader in the New Zealand dairy industry, with specific experience in pharmaceutical grade infant formula manufacturing and export.
A chartered accountant by qualification, Ravi has held General Manager, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer roles within the dairy and nutraceutical manufacturing companies in the last 9 years and travelled extensively to China and other markets to grow exports from New Zealand. Prior to this Ravi gained significant auditing and governance experience whilst working for PwC and KPMG in their audit divisions.
CLAIRE QUIN
ALARON PRODUCTS LTD
Claire has over 18 years’ of experience working within the natural health food, complementary medicine and personal care sector. Claire has held positions across numerous areas of the sector, such as Quality, Technical, Sales and Marketing, Business Development and Management, demonstrating her extensive and comprehensive knowledge across crucial areas of the industry.
Claire currently holds the position of General Manager for Alaron Products Limited, a GMP Certified Contract Manufacturer of health supplements and natural skincare. Not only does Claire have a strong quality and technical focus she also brings a practical and operational perspective to any undertaking and under Claire’s management Alaron took out the Natural Health Products inaugural Supplier of the Year award in 2018. Her understanding of customer requirements, market access constraints and regulatory environments would help to strengthen the breadth of knowledge on the executive team for the broad range and ever increasing number of member companies.
Claire studied Food Technology at Massey University where she graduated with honors. She also holds a Postgraduate diploma in Business Administration from Massey University. Claire started her career in the Natural Health Products sector working with some of the first medical grade Manuka Honey developments, studying the quality of the honey from hive to processing and every stage in between. Claire’s work in this area contributed to the early specifications for medical grade and food grade honey.
Claire understands the importance and value an industry organisation provides and currently holds an executive position on the Cosmetic New Zealand board. She is highly motivated and passionate about the Natural Health Products sector. She is proud to work with innovative natural health ingredients, manufactured to the highest quality, for New Zealand and the rest of the world.
PHIL RASMUSSEN
PHYTOMED MEDICINAL HERBS LTD
Phil founded Phytomed Medicinal Herbs, which manufactures practitioner-only herbal products as well as the Kiwiherb® range of OTC herbal products. He is also an experienced phytotherapist and has practiced at a clinic in Auckland for 25 years.
Before pursuing herbal medicine he worked for more than 10 years as a pharmacist.
Over the years, Phil has lectured at natural medicine colleges and universities, written extensively on herbal subjects for practitioner and consumer publications, and presented at conferences in New Zealand, Australia and the UK. He is the former Deputy Chair of the Interim Expert Advisory Committee on Complementary & Alternative Medicines (IEACCAM), established by the New Zealand and Australian governments, and in 2016 was appointed Chair of the Interim Technical Expert Advisory Committee on Natural Health Products – Permitted Substances List (PSL) Subcommittee, established by the NZ Ministry of Health.
As the founder of a relatively small but fast growing GMP certified company, Phil feels strongly about the need to represent the interests of small to medium sized businesses, on the Natural Health Products NZ board.