The strategy to produce the best liquid herbal extracts starts with harvesting and manufacturing the best herbs. Our goal is to grow them on our organic farm in Western Bulgaria. We use regenerative practices that help our plants and our entire ecosystem thrive. From soil to bottle, we do what’s right for plants, people and the planet. We use the methods of science ALLELOPATHY – a biological phenomenon in which a plant produces one or more biochemicals that affect the growth, survival and reproduction of neighbouring organisms. These biochemicals can be released from its living organs when it dies or from its decaying tissues and have a beneficial effect on the target organisms, and in other cases (on weeds) a harmful effect. We plant crops according to schemes for the correct combination of plants that enrich the soil, help each other and create a sustainable and healthy environment for development. As far as we know, Aniseed is the first regenerative herbal farm in Bulgaria.
Going beyond organic
Being a regenerative herb farm means we meet the standard that our end products contain no GMOs or synthetic ingredients. We also meet stringent soil health requirements using compost, cover crops, ‘low’ tillage, crop rotation and intercropping.
Precision harvesting
Thanks to both ancient wisdom and modern science, we know exactly which part of each plant is most beneficial and when to harvest to obtain the highest concentration of beneficial phytochemicals and plant compounds to support body function. Science helps us confirm what we’ve learned from traditional wisdom—we carefully time harvest based on the part of the plant that produces the highest concentration of phytochemicals
Uncompromising quality
We confirm the content of every batch of herbs produced in our processing plant, aiming for quality and purity. We carry out a visual analysis to assess the botanical characteristics, to make sure that this is the plant we need, as well as an organoleptic analysis that evaluates the taste and aroma.
From how it looks, smells and tastes, we determine that we have the right plant. We check the herbal mixtures for foreign organic substances and unwanted plant parts. This is when a lot can be rejected due to the presence of poor quality or unwanted plants in it. We then conduct various scientific evaluations to confirm that we have what it takes to produce a high-quality tincture.
Each herb and extract is subject to strict microbiological testing. In addition to meeting the basic testing criteria, we must ensure that the herbs are free of heavy metals, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. Our expert team follows time-tested formulas. Herbs are infused and combined according to unique recipes into customised extract solutions. They are specially selected for efficacy and include certified organic alcohol and distilled water. Our formulas determine how long each extraction takes, usually 2 to 3 weeks. When the herbal extract is ready, we press and separate the liquid, then filter for maximum purity.
In addition to adhering to our own strict rules and procedures, we follow current good manufacturing practices and a set of regulations enforced and monitored in Bulgaria. We voluntarily subject our processes and our workshop to third-party audits to verify compliance with the requirements and procedures for the production of liquid nutritional supplements under the terms of the MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND FORESTRY and the Regional Directorate of Food Safety. The current regulations in Bulgaria show compliance with the American regulation Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) for good manufacturing practice imposed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for liquid dietary supplements.
If we cannot find a way for a sustainable and healthy environment to grow a particular herb on our farm, we will not offer it to you.