Photios Poupoulas shares the Intoleran journey from a small Dutch brand to a global leader in food intolerance solutions.
Tell our readers your brand story.
Intoleran was first known as Disolut and began in The Netherlands in 2008. It was started by Remko Hiemstra, a nurse who later was became a clinical trials monitor, and himself having lactose intolerance. He wanted to bring a solution to his home country, and it started out with lactose and then expanded out to supporting other intolerances over time including the lesser known ones which still affect many people, but options weren’t available. More recently it has become known as Intoleran headed by Harmen Treep our International Director and expanded to the US and across different regions in Europe and the UK. I am a pharmacist by training and was frustrated by the lack of help for different food intolerances in Australia, which saw myself working with them to bring the brand to Australia in 2020.
If a reader was new to your brand, what product in your range should they start with and why?
We definitely recommend firstly discussing any gastrointestinal symptoms with your doctor or dietitian to rule out other conditions, and to pin point likely food intolerance(s) involved. From there, they can purchase one of our trial packs which are handy for giving our products a go to see if they work for you. Quatrase 10,000 is popular especially when more than one intolerance is suspected, and with people diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, and not a specific food intolerance.
What is one of the highlights of your brand journey to date?
Bringing the DAO enzyme through our DAO Mini and DAO Plus products into Australia in early 2023 was definitely a highlight. It was a bit of a process getting it into Australia and we were so happy when we could communicate to customers it was finally available! A close second is the Monash University FODMAP Certification, as people can be assured products with that mark are lab tested for accuracy of ingredients and purity.
Where can we buy your product?
We are available online directly from our website, through the WholeLife Pharmacy & Healthfoods group and practitioners can find us at Ariya Health and Vital.ly. More recently we are available at Chemist Warehouse Online and more independent pharmacies are stocking online, and we have plans to be available in the wider pharmacy and health food network.
Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about your brand?
Sure, we are really proud to offer a solution for these lesser known intolerances, and we are proud our head office is staffed with dietitians so if there’s a tricky question from customers, they can ask and get a professional opinion.
Where you can find Intoleran
Website: intoleran.com.au
Phone: 0403 07 1902
