Wakunaga expands multistrain probiotics line to serve consumers at all stages of life

09-Jul-2019 - Last updated on 09-Jul-2019 at 16:21 GMT

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Wakunaga is betting hard on the multistrain side of the probiotics realm with the planned launch of three new products.

Wakunaga of America announced its expanding its line of probiotics branded as Kyo-Dophilus. The aim is to have a complete line of age-specific products targeting different demographics.

The comapny already has five products that include a three-strain product labeled as Daily, one that includes enzymes, another with Ashland’s Cran-Max cranberry extract aimed at urinary tract health, a proudct aimed at children, as well as a product containing nine individual strains.

Probiotics to provide accurate strength and effectiveness for every stage of life.

This year Wakunaga said it will release three more probiotic supplements. One is aimed at consumers over fifty years of age and includes three strains. A new nine strain product will be branded as Complete and a 12-strain product will be branded as Max.

Products built around three major strains

The company said all eight probiotic formulas will include its three clinically studied and proprietary blend strains: Lactobacillus gasseri KS-13, Bifidobacterium bifidum G9-1 and Bifidobacterium longum MM-2. There are published studies on this specific combination of strains that show that they support improved digestion, reduce cold and seasonal allergy symptoms and restore a healthy microbiome in aging adults.

Pharmacist, alternative health care practitioner and published author James LaValle has consulted with the company on its probiotic offerings and said he’s been impressed with its commitment to the science behind its strains.

“I like that Wakunaga does research on their strains and does multiple studies on them,” LaValle told NutraIngredients-USA.

LaValle said the company also has a commitment to basic quality questions, which potentially could hover over some other multi strain products. It’s all fine and good to slap a bunch of names on a label, but with a number of strains, all of which might vary as to shelf life and viability, who’s to say what the consumer is actually consuming at the end?

“I like that they did studies to show the strains were actually present in the bottle after manufacture, and they did the basic science work to say they were there at the end,” LaValle said. “There are a lot of multi strain products that are on the market that are not even tested for viability.”