Blainville, Québec, September 13, 2011 - Duchesnay, the first Canadian pharmaceutical company to have been granted Kosher certification from the Kashruth Council of Canada (COR) for its prenatal multivitamins PregVit® and PregVit folic 5®, has announced that it has now received confirmation that the two products are chometz free and in full compliance with Passover requirements.
Therefore a new Chometz-free COR symbol has been provided to Duchesnay and will appear on the revised PregVit® and PregVit folic 5® packaging before next Passover. In the meantime, Canadian women who will use the current PregVit® and PregVit folic 5® packaging can rest assured that their prenatal/postpartum multivitamins are suitable for Passover, even though the Chometz-free status is not reflected in the current COR symbol appearing on the packaging.
"We are very pleased that Jewish communities in North America have access to prenatal multivitamins that fully meet our traditional standards. We are grateful that Duchesnay acknowledges the importance of such products in Jewish observance", stated Rabbi Sholom H Adler, Director of Industrial Kosher – COR Kashruth Council of Canada.
"Duchesnay is proud to work at developing health products that meet the needs of women from various cultural or religious communities. It reflects the Canadian cultural reality and its influence on the market dynamic, including the health product sector" stated Carole Boyer, Vice-President of Corporate Affairs at Duchesnay. "Moreover, by making health products such as PregVit® and PregVit folic5® compliant with Kosher and Passover requirements, we also meet the needs of thousands of women with celiac disease or with lactose intolerance, since our products do not contain gluten, lactose or tartrazine", concluded Carole Boyer.
PregVit® and PregVit folic 5® are provided on prescription only. Women planning a pregnancy should discuss with their attending healthcare professional which PregVit® or PregVit folic 5® multivitamin supplement should help them achieve the level of folic acid they need according to their specific health status.
About Duchesnay Inc.
Duchesnay Inc. is a Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to work at filling the existing gap in terms of scientific research, education and evidence-based information, and to develop safe and effective pharmacological solutions for use during pregnancy and lactation.
