Madame M. KLEIN-LECAT, a successful farmer with a graduate diploma from the Section d’Etudes Supérieures d’Industrie Laitière (INA PARIS), had been producing milk of exceptionally high quality at her farm since 1934.
In 1960, on the advice of Professor THIEULIN, President of the Académie Vétérinaire and member of the Académie de Médecine, she built a laboratory at her livestock farm in Bouvigny-Boyeffles near Arras, with the aim of using this high-quality milk to create a product rich in Lactobacillus bacteria.
Assisted by researchers specialised in the agri-food sector, she succeeded in developing a fermented milk containing Lactobacillus bacteria, specifically Lb. acidophilus and Lb. Rhamnosus, of exceptional quality and that was modified prior to culturing. This research took place in 1960, directed by Professor CASALIS at the Ecole Nationale des Industries Alimentaires in DOUAI (ENSIA).
After extensive testing, Mme Klein-Lecat succeeded in producing a product rich in LIVE Lactobacillus bacteria (patented procedure).
Meeting with the Laiterie du Climont
In 1996, a chance meeting between Mme Klein (*) and Christian Haessig who, along with his wife, had established a small, traditional dairy in the heart of the Vosges Massif, would change the course of events. They quickly discovered that they shared many like-minded opinions – the same sensitivities, the same people-oriented outlook, and the same rigorous and demanding approach to product quality. Having approved the Laiterie du Climont as a production site, Mme Klein then set about transferring the know-how of her patented “K” Philus development process, assisted by her friends and scientific colleagues Messrs. Luquet, Alstadt and Lacourt. This is the same product that we produce today under the brand name K-Philus Bio, found in most wholefood stores specialising in natural and organic produce. To ensure that the product and its dynamic would continue to flourish even when she was no longer there, Mme Klein created a company(**) to manage the preservation of specific K-Philus strains, and to monitor the approval of production sites and the quality of the distributed products.
* Marguerite KLEIN-LECAT, 1908-2003
** Société K.Philus Europe, 86 rue Paul Vaillant-Couturier, 94400 VITRY SUR SEINE