Codelco’s subsidiary, an accelerator of innovation projects in new uses of copper, closed an agreement with the Cow Guard® brand, which has developed innovative copper products for the protection of the bovine nipple and animal welfare. For the first time the mining industry joins forces with the dairy industry, working collaboratively, based on the bactericidal properties of copper, generating value for the national economy.

According to a statement released today, Codelco Lab, a subsidiary of the Copper Corporation (Codelco), entered the fields of southern Chile to investigate and survey copper products used in the dairy industry.

After extensive analysis and conversations with producers and people involved in the dairy industry, he established a partnership with Biogenesis Animal Health.

The protective gel developed by this company prevents the entry of pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi to the sphincter of the bovine teat, thus preventing them from reaching the mammary gland causing mastitis.

This disease is the cause of the greatest economic losses in the dairy industry, with global losses estimated at 35,000 million dollars a year.

“We are impressed with this innovation, it is a solution that will really impact the dairy industry nationally and globally,” said Eduardo Foix, executive director of Codelco Lab.

Meanwhile, the general manager of Biogenesis Animal Health, Jorge González, assured that they are “very happy with the results of the studies, which expose the effective capacity of the products to reduce mastitis.”

“Our customers, once they try the brand, they immediately notice the difference,” he emphasized.

He explained that “Cow Guard®” is the most effective bovine teat protector with copper on the market, the only one with scientific studies, patent approved and authorized by the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG).

Foix maintained that “the next step is to scale this technology towards a replicable model and reach international markets in the short term.”

In this sense, Codelco Lab seeks to expand this technology either directly or through licensing to large companies, allowing the entrepreneur to reach new markets quickly and effectively.

He assured that this alliance marks a unique milestone in Chilean history, since for the first time the mining industry unites with the dairy industry, working together based on the bactericidal property of copper and generating value for the economy of this country. EFE

Source: http://www.codelco.com/