Yakult unveils US volume surge as good bacteria message gathers pace

16-May-2012 - US consumers now drink around 142,000 bottles of Yakult's probiotic fermented dairy drink a day, 24% more than they were gulping down this time last year.*

Sexier mice eat probiotic yogurt: researcher hints at human implications

11-May-2012 - The co-author of a research paper that found that mice fed probiotic yogurt displayed 'mouse swagger' and better sexual performance has told DairyReporter.com that the findings were potentially relevant to humans.

Probiotics have benefits for antibiotic induced diarrhoea: Meta-analysis

10-May-2012 - Consumption of probiotics is associated with a reduced risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, according to a review and meta-analysis of previous studies.

Prebiotics may reduce severity of colitis, say researchers

04-May-2012 - Prebiotic supplements could help to reduce bacterial infection and inflammation so reducing the severity of colitis, according to new research.

Dispatches from the IPA World Congress

Sports nutrition offers big opportunities for $775M US probiotic supplement market

23-Apr-2012 - Sports nutrition offers a great opportunity to expand the $2.7 bn global probiotic supplement market, with products like Gaspari’s Myofusion leading the field.

Yakult's first US manufacturing plant to open in the fall, 2013

20-Apr-2012 - The first bottles of Yakult will start rolling off the production line at the Japanese probiotic pioneer’s first US factory in Fountain Valley, CA, in the fall of 2013.

Chr Hansen shares jump 9% on strong H1 profits

19-Apr-2012 - First half EBIT profits for 2011-12 surged 19% to €83m at Chr Hansen as it shrugged off the effects of severe fluctuations in the price of red colorant carmine, and ongoing probiotic health claim uncertainty in Europe – its biggest yet most stagnant market.

Probiotic BLIS K12 may protect against oral yeast growth

17-Apr-2012 - Supplements containing the probiotic BLIS K12 ingredient may inhibit the growth of the yeast responsible for oral thrush, suggests new in vitro data that supports the oral health potential of the ingredient.

Prebiotic supplements could aid mineral absorption: Rat study

19-Mar-2012 - Supplementation with fibre rich prebiotics could help to boost bone density by increasing the levels of important minerals absorbed in the gut, according to new research in rats.

Sabinsa scores industry first with patent-pending synbiotic bilayer tablet

14-Mar-2012 - Sabinsa is set to score an industry first this year when it unveils the first bi-layer synbiotic tablet featuring prebiotics in one layer and probiotics in the other.

Pre and probiotics in formula could boost infant immunity

06-Mar-2012 - The addition of pre and probiotics to infant formula could help to boost immune responses by colonising newborn babies’ guts with a stable population of beneficial bacteria, say researchers.

Functional foods offer ‘protective matrix’ for probiotic delivery, confirm researchers

23-Feb-2012 - A new model to evaluate probiotic survival in the gut has confirmed that many bacteria strains survive better when consumed in a functional food matrix such as fermented milks – so allowing a greater chance to promote health, say the researchers.

Danone launches new global probiotics group to “talk with lawmakers”

22-Feb-2012 - Danone has formed the Global Alliance for Probiotics (GAP) with other sector giants like Yakult, DuPont-Danisco and Chr Hansen as the frustrated industry seeks to win a first European Union health claim.

Dispatches from Probiotic Summit

Danone: “Probiotics category could disappear”

07-Feb-2012 - Global probiotics leader Danone continues to prepare for the worst under the European Union’s uber-strict health claims regime that may this year deliver a barren, claimless landscape to the world’s biggest-selling functional food category, an official said today.

New probiotic strains will win health claims (but not for 10-15 years): Prof

03-Feb-2012 - Advances in genomics and understanding the human gut microbiota will lead to the discovery of probiotic bacterial strains that will deliver biomarker-measured health benefits – but it may take 10-15 years, according to a leading researcher.

US per capita spending on probiotic supplements expected to nearly double by 2016

02-Feb-2012 - Per capita spending on probiotic supplements is forecast to almost double over the next five years in the US, according to market researcher Euromonitor International.

Sugar coated probiotics have increased survival and can reduce infection: Study

24-Jan-2012 - A sugary outer coating produced by probiotic bacteria could help them to survive in the good and may also offer clues to how they block some bacterial infections, say researchers.

Probiotic-prebiotic combination may ease eczema in kids: Study

17-Jan-2012 - Combining probiotics and prebiotics to produce a symbiotic may reduce the severity of eczema in children, suggests new research from Taiwan with 60 children.

Modified probiotics may protect against food borne illnesses: Study

10-Jan-2012 - Modified probiotics could help to reduce the risk of food borne infections such as Listeria by blocking the bacteria from entering the body in the gut, say researchers.

Fiber-rich vegetarian diet leads to better gut microflora profile: Study

09-Jan-2012 - Consuming a vegan or vegetarian diet results in different profiles of gut microflora, with lower levels of potentially pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, says a new study.

Probiotic gum beats placebo for bad breath: Study

05-Jan-2012 - Lactobacillus reuteri-containing gum can significantly reduce halitosis, Danish researchers have found, although the mechanism of action remains a mystery.

Disptaches from Microbiota 2011

IPA co-founder: EU probiotic approach is “dirty pool”

23-Dec-2011 - Jarrow Rogovin, never a man to mince his words, says it is high time the IPA and other trade groups stepped up to the plate to defend a sector that has been under regulatory siege on both sides of the Atlantic for several years.

Gut microbe diversity is key in fight against allergies, study suggests

20-Dec-2011 - Children with a diverse variety of bacteria in their gut may have better protection against allergies, according to new research.

Probiotics may boost immune health markers for smokers: Study

12-Dec-2011 - Daily supplements of the probiotic Lactobacillus casei Shirota strain may boost activity of key immune cells in smokers, says a new study.