Teen entrepreneurs raise the bar
Three high school students, the first to import the superfood, barberries, into New Zealand, are hoping their new business will see them winging their way to Expo 2020 in Dubai in January.
From Bayfield High School in Dunedin, they started importing the tart, red barberries from Iran last year. They have them dehydrated and processed into a powder which is added to foods to boost nutrition and provide antioxidants.
The teenagers set up their company, Abalro Health, under the Young Enterprises Scheme. Chief executive, 17-year-old Robert Donohoe, said barberries had been shown to reduce acne. While teenagers were the target market, others with acne would benefit too.
‘‘The anti-acne, that definitely is the main reason for us making the product and the main benefit of the product. However, barberries have also been found to have very diverse general health benefits,‘‘ Donohoe, who is planning to train as a doctor, said.
The superfood had been shown to reduce the area of skin affected by acne by up to 43 per cent in the first month of use. The results were from a study by an Iranian university in partnership with the University of Michigan. Other studies had revealed similar results.
‘‘Our own customers have also found extremely similar results and have been very pleased with how they have been able to relieve acne. Despite this incredible benefit that it could have to the hundreds of thousands of teens that have acne, there were no barberries available in New Zealand until we came along.’’
The 210 gram pouches of the barberry powder cost $29.99 each. Two teaspoons a day is recommended. The trio designed the package themselves.
‘‘Basically every single thing we’ve done has just been by ourselves as high schoolers.’’
Abalro Health sells the powder in two big retail chains, Health 2000 and Bin Inn, and in three other retailers in Dunedin, and it sells online through its website.