Natural cider vinegar just the tonic for Bluebird

By ROB O'NEIL

New Zealand-made untreated cider vinegar is going down a treat in Asia as a natural health drink.

Every year, Bluebird Foods brews up two special batches of vinegar, a murky drop that is untreated or filtered so all the natural proteins are retained.

Two container loads, or 36,000 bottles, are then shipped to Sabah in Malaysia, from where they are distributed to Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

The trade started five years ago when Otago University-educated Dr Lin Tan, from Sabah, approached Bluebird to produce a small trial run of the untreated vinegar.

That trial shipment has now become a regular feature of Bluebird's DYC vinegar production calendar.

While volumes are low, Bluebird's export manager, Derek Hesford, describes the product, labelled New Life, as a "nice little export earner."

Natural cider vinegar is regarded as a source of potassium, which helps put toxins in solution so they can be flushed from the body.

It also contains pectins, said to reduce fat absorption, essential minerals and enzymes.