Wise Choice Market is the sales and marketing partner of Caldwell Bio Fermentation Canada Inc (CBFC), whose products are distributed in the USA under the Deep Root Organic label. 

CBFC (originally Bio Lacto) is a Canadian company with its office and production facilities located in the beautiful Eastern Townships of Quebec province, just north of Vermont. Watch the video. The company was founded in the early 1990's by Paula Obermeir, growing out of her long-term interest in health foods.

Following traditional European recipes, and using superior, certified organic vegetables produced on the farm, Paula started experimenting with the production of fermented vegetables. The results proved very encouraging and the adventure began.

 In 1994, Gary Caldwell, a local farmer and independent researcher, became the principal shareholder in Bio Lacto, bringing imagination, enthusiasm, capital and a long-term perspective to the company. Shortly after, Dr. Jacques Goulet, Professor in the Department of Food Sciences of Laval University in Quebec City, took on the role of scientific advisor to the company and later he became a shareholder.

Preserving tradition with science

In 1996, in order to better control the production process, Bio Lacto joined forces with the Food Research and Development Center (FRDC) of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to study the complex workings of lactic fermentation. Today, Dr. Tony Savard, a microbiologist specializing in fermentation processes, works closely with the company in an ongoing collaboration with the FRDC.

In July 1998, Bio Lacto was incorporated as Caldwell Bio Fermentation Canada Inc.

By this time the first mixed-culture starter had been developed and was being used successfully to pre-empt secondary fermentation. Subsequently, a second starter was developed to inhibit yeast in more difficult vegetable fermentations, and more recently we launched a version of our starter for people to use when culturing vegetables at home.

Further collaborative research programs with the FRDC are planned, focusing on the development of other specialized vegetable starter cultures and the science behind fermenting various vegetables.

See where and how Caldwell's unique cultured vegetables are made:

CBFC also offer their commercial starters and accumulated scientific knowledge and production expertise to other producers of raw cultured vegetables. Please contact Vitality Foods Ltd www.vitalityfoods-eu.com for further details.