Robertet gets involved in CBD Far from being opportunistic, the presence of the family group Robertet in the «file» of CBD signs its desire to introduce a solid scientific footprint. A «bold» presence according to Olivier Maubert, the group’s deputy CEO in charge of the flavors division, but in line with the historical expertise in natural products. Actif’s Mag: The Robertet Group was the first «established» our markets. This is also why we have joined the UIVEC (Union des company to enter the CBD market, first in the United States, Industries pour la Valorisation des Extraits de Chanvre, see box), then more recently in Europe. What are the reasons for this? which is working in this direction, to support the entire French Olivier Maubert: On the one hand, because our family-owned hemp industry, which is only too happy to develop. In this sense, group has been an expert in natural products since its inception, the mobilization displayed by all the actors concerned by CBD - ex- whether in the field of flavours and fragrances - our first business tractors like us, but also brands of food supplements, professional - or in the more recent field of active ingredients for cosmetics associations - is not only about business opportunities, but about and nutraceuticals. Another reason is that throughout our long the will to build a CBD «industry» - from the cultivation of hemp to history, we have always tried to be daring and to stand out. That’s the formulation of food supplements or beverages - which is sus- why, facing the current and future developments of CBD, we de- tainable. We believe that the isolate market as it exists today is not cided at the end of 2018, to sign a partnership agreement with the necessarily the future. The isolates on the market could very qui- North American company Klersun, based in Oregon. This com- ckly become a commodity. There are several ways to avoid this pit- pany masters its sourcing as well as the extraction processes from fall: developing certified organic grades, setting up a French indus- hemp; Broad Spectrum extracts (in other words titrated in phyto- try, and moving forward with an offer of Broad Spectrum extracts, cannabinoids, without THC) are intended for the North American among others. At this level, our expertise in plant extraction tech- market. Within the framework of this partnership, we bring our niques is fully relevant. These techniques have been perfected and expertise in the «implementation» of extracts. In particular, in the are already being presented to the North American market and to technologies of clean label micro-emulsions from our Robertet the cosmetics industry. Flavours business. These micro-emulsions are intended for be- verage applications, for example, in which they do not cause any cloudiness. Another technological contribution: atomization and extrusion on an inulin support. Still within the framework of this partnership, we are in charge of the bioavailability studies of the extracts, studies carried out and validated in France thanks to our expertise in efficacy studies from the company Bionov that we took over a few years ago. It is at the end of 2019, beginning of 2020, that we started our approach to the European market, but in a cautious way. That’s why we have established a partnership in May 2020 with the Swiss company Alponics, which has its own crops on the shores of Lake Geneva and extracts CBD by Supercritical CO2. Switzerland is indeed one of the few countries in Europe where the hemp extract market is regulated. Because beyond the fact that the CBD market and other canna- binoids is a real growth opportunity for us on a buoyant market, we want to bring a real scientific guarantee to this universe. Actif’s Mag: You have also issued your own code of good practice (see box) which lists all your initiatives in the hemp extract market. What are the reasons for this? Olivier Maubert: This code of good practice is, on certain points, a roadmap that we have drawn up for ourselves, listing all the key stages in the production of hemp extracts and the expertise asso- ciated with them. It is also the Robertet Group’s commitment to stneidergnI — stneidérgnI- 08 -