Two Below Spec Fungal Products from Certis Biologicals

I used to do quality control for most products at Certis Biologicals. The two fungal products, PFR and SoilGard, were always below spec and contaminated with bacteria. Sometimes, they were contaminated with Double Nickel (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens), and this bacteria kills PFR and SoilGard. These two products are not very shelf stable at room temperature despite formulation changes. It will only last weeks tops. It may last a couple of months if refrigerated. This company tries to market a SoilGard product as stable for two years! LIES!!!!

Don't even get me started on their other fungal products. The measure of potency for their other fungal products uses germination (viable spores/g or viable spores/ml) instead of colony forming units (CFU/g or CFU/ml). Most of the time these products will pass if they claim viable spores counts, but they will fail if they claim CFU counts. PFR and SoilGard use CFU counts, while the other fungal products acquired from the LAM international in Butte, Montana (Certis USA acquired LAM International now known as Certis Biologicals) use viable spore counts. My coworkers and I will always say the CFU counts are better because they are what truly germinates. CFU counts are what really counts, while viable spore counts are inflated counts that doesn't really mean anything. This is why the Europeans ask for CFU counts when it needs to be registered over there.

They have a product called Botanigard ES (from LAM International since it wasn't Certis USA original product). Let me tell you this, never buy oil formulated fungal products from Certis Biologicals. No matter the oil or surfactant used, every fungal product formulated this way is never on spec!!! 

Our former formulation scientist who retired was very competent. He will know what to do. They now have a new formulation scientist who only has two years of experience before joining Certis Biologicals. She doesn't know what she is doing despite having a PhD. I think it's either the oil or surfactant that may be suffocating the fungi. The surfactant may be the issue. She needed to do research on the cell wall of fungi and find out what surfactants work with the cell wall. There are different surfactants whether it be cationic, nonionic, etc. Some surfactant work better with the cell wall than others. Instead of doing actual research to understand how to really work with fungi, she just finds a list of organic surfactants and test all of them. 

Our previous formulation scientist also tested his own formulations. This new formulation scientist only knows how to mix stuff together blindly, but she doesn't test her own formulations. She doesn't even know how to use a microscope. She passed on her work to the other scientists who also had a lot of work of their own while she sits there and earn money with the extra time. Guess what happened with the formulations? They all degrade within weeks. Plus, the initial count wasn't even on spec! 

Certis Biologicals need to eliminate viable spores as a spec or they need to find another way to test. The oil or surfactant is really interfering with the fungi. They need to also switch to CFU counts with their other fungal products and possibly over formulate. They know they can't because every fungal product will fail quality control and it can get expensive.

Before I left the company, they were trying to get China (Wuhan Biotech) to grow some of these fungal technical powders. The company also has trouble in their manufacturing facility in Butte, Montana not just Wasco, California. The fact that they call themselves leading manufacturer of biopesticides is a LIE! 

They literally have Wuhan Biotech make the technical powders or liquids, and import it to the manufacturing sites to be formulated with inerts! All of their Bacillus thuringiensis (every strain they sell) technical powders are made in China. All of their viral technical liquids are also made in China. None of their facilities are able to produce the viral technical products. They don't have people, and they failed before. They are also trying to get China to make some of the fungal technical powders. 

Their manufacturing sites could not make anything potent. I don't know why. I think it is mainly the fact that the manufacturing sites aren't managed well. The previous CEO knew the manufacturing sites were a problem, and he will visit them every month. The new CEO rarely visits the manufacturing sites and all she knows how to do is cut costs. She wants to hire a bunch of nobodys to monitor the costs in Wasco, CA rather than actually going there to identify the problem and fix it from there. Most of the new people they hired before I left don't really do any work. Most of the time they chit chat for most of the day then go home. So, they hire a bunch of lazy people. How is that cutting costs? Labor is the most expensive cost. You need to be strategic on who to hire. A company is only as good as the employees. 

There are a lot of issues with cross contamination at the manufacturing sites. They were times when they shipped the products out to customers when it hasn't even been through quality control! Since I did most of the quality control, most of the time they don't pass spec. I was told to manipulate the way I test the products or forge the results to meet spec because they already shipped it. Sometimes, they change the specs without approval. They keep increasing the contamination spec. 

Don't expect quality products from this company! If you don't believe me, send your products out and have it tested by a third party. Use your own third party. Do not trust Certis Biologicals Certificate of Analysis and their third party certifications! This company usually sends products out to customers before or without quality control. Results are usually manipulated if they are below spec!