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Meet our founders

Hello and thank you for taking the time to read more about us.

My name is Farah and this is our story: My siblings and I started up the Optibac brand in 2004 with the help of our father, under the company name Wren Laboratories Ltd. Dad had dedicated over 35 years to working as a successful community pharmacist, and given our passion for health & wellbeing, we were keen to move into something with a stronger focus on natural health. We all take our supplements on a daily basis - between us & our kids, most often a combination of Every Day, Gut Health Gummies, Kids Gummies and For Women -  and believe wholeheartedly in what we do.

Our expertise is in specific, credible strains. This is very important as research continues to show that different live cultures will have different modes of action in the body. We are proud to have introduced a number of strains to the UK, including pure Saccharomyces boulardii, Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12® and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1® and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14® in For Women.

There are so many things about Optibac that we’re proud of. Personally, I love the science behind our range of live cultures supplements. Our products are backed by hundreds of clinical trials and have been researched in thousands of people across the world. 

As a business, we're continuously striving for excellence, and it’s not just the science that makes our products so great - my brother Jalal was the driving force behind introducing new eco-conscious packaging to our range in 2021. It’s always been our mission to help look after people and the planet.

That’s why it’s also important to us to give back to the local and wider community. My sister Soraya champions our charitable donations, particularly our partnership with Womankind Worldwide. We are proud to say that we've contributed to this international women's rights organisation since 2014, donating over £810,000 so far. You can find out more about our other charitable partnerships on our Charity & Sustainability page.

We are also members of the Health Food Manufacturer's Association and Buy Women Built, which Soraya regularly attends. Off the back of my own networking and mentoring I was extremely proud to have been shortlisted as a finalist for the Women of the Future awards in 2022.

Optibac Directors

We love what we do. Every day, we receive excellent reviews for our supplements from people around the world, who tell us that their quality of life is just a bit (or sometimes a lot) better thanks to Optibac. We're based near Andover, in the beautiful county of Hampshire (UK) where we grew up. Every day at lunchtime the team get together and the extended Optibac family meets to talk about upcoming projects, and we also read one or two reviews out loud. Walking back to your desk knowing that somebody out there is feeling happy because of what you do, is the best motivation.


It's this sense of motivation and community that makes the environment at Optibac so special. We were so pleased that, in a recent survey, 100% of the team recommended Optibac as a great place to work. We wouldn't be where we are today without our wonderful team, and, as a health company, their happiness and wellbeing are always paramount.

We have partnered with some of the world's leading institutes in the field, and are dedicated to developing an expert range of the highest quality. Our range consists of 15 different award-winning live cultures supplements which we sell on to health food stores and independent pharmacies nationwide (through our sister company and wholesaler, Medipharma Ltd), as well as direct to customers (UK and internationally) though our online shop. We have also recently been honoured with the King's Award for Enterprise, as a result of our impressive international growth.

We won the King's Award! 

Following our Queen’s Award in 2019, we were incredibly honoured to receive the King’s Award for Enterprise 2024, in the International Trade category.


Jalal spoke on behalf of us all when he said: “We are deeply honoured to receive this prestigious award for international trade for the second time in five years. Thank you to everyone who has supported our business both overseas and at home - we look forward to bringing friendly bacteria to millions more in the years to come.”


Take a look at this video to learn more about our Queen’s Award in 2019, as well as the founders and faces behind the business.


Thanks to BBC South for filming & permission to use.

Wishing you and your family the very best of health,

Farah, Jalal & Soraya Janmohamed

Co-founders & Directors

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