Probiotics

Chinese boom: How probiotics and e-commerce are changing China's supplement industry

16-Jan-2019 By Cheryl Tay

Probiotics and e-commerce are two of the most prominent priorities for Chinese consumers when it comes to dietary supplements, according to a Mintel report on 2018's top supplement trends in China.

Probiotics present 'new way' to fight Staph infections: US, Thai researchers

19-Dec-2018 By Cheryl Tay

A certain strain of probiotic Bacillus bacteria can help eliminate the harmful bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, according to a joint population study by US and Thai researchers.

Probiotics for building muscle mass: Synbio Tech targets the US market with ‘world’s first’ sports product

13-Dec-2018 By Tingmin Koe

Taiwanese probiotics firm Synbio Tech is aiming for a strong entry into the US sports nutrition market with a probiotic strain capable of building muscle mass.

Probiotic supplementation 'eases constipation pain but ineffective' for treatment success: China review

11-Dec-2018 By Cheryl Tay

Probiotic supplementation may alleviate certain constipation pain in children, but has no significant impact on the success of the actual treatment, according to a Chinese systematic review.

Trucking along: Vitagen Malaysia bringing probiotic info to the public amid new research results

07-Dec-2018 By Cheryl Tay

Vitagen Malaysia has launched its Digestive Health On Wheels education initiative to raise public awareness of the importance of gut health, starting with 30 locations in Klang Valley.

FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK

Pair of null studies do not preclude power of probiotics evidence

30-Nov-2018 By Stephen Daniells

Here we go again… A couple of studies in a high impact medical journal found no benefits from select probiotic strains in kids with gastroenteritis.

Indian and Korean researchers develop functional probiotic beverage from fermented coconut water

20-Nov-2018 By Cheryl Tay

Researchers in India and South Korea have developed a functional fermented coconut beverage using the bacterial strain Lactobacillus casei L4.

Probiota Asia 2018

WATCH — 'A daunting task': IPA chief on the challenges of commercialising a global probiotic product

06-Nov-2018 By Gary Scattergood

Companies seeking to commercialise a probiotic product across the globe face a 'daunting task', which is why trade association the International Probitics Association (IPA) is vowing not to let up in its efforts to achieve a more consistent...

Probiota Asia 2018

WATCH – Herbalife: Don't underestimate the importance of internal alignment for external affairs

05-Nov-2018 By Gary Scattergood

Internal alignment within a nutrition company is just as important as external collaboration, in order to ensure that the regulatory environment is as favourable and effective as possible.

From the Editor's Desk

Probiotics continuously improving, while still showing aspects of variability

28-Sep-2018 By Hank Schultz

Are supplements getting better? It’s a bit of a tricky question when applied to probiotics, as the ingredients are relatively new to the market. There are many examples of quality improvements within this category, but it exhibits some features that are...

Revenue rockets at Swisse parent firm Health and Happiness as probiotics perform well

04-Sep-2018 By Tingmin Koe

Health and Happiness (H&H) achieved a revenue of RMB4573.6m (about US$669m) in the first half of 2018, which is 28.8% higher than the same period last year.

CRN announces 11 new members

16-Aug-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) has added eleven new companies to its membership network.

Supplement sales helped drive gains in Clorox’s lifestyle segment in Q4

03-Aug-2018 By Adi Menayang

The Clorox Company dived deeper into the supplements space when it bought portfolio company Nutranext earlier this year. How did it affect its Q4 results?

Yakult Danone weighing up Indian expansion as it seeks to educate consumers about gut health

02-Aug-2018 By Tingmin Koe

Yakult Danone India is currently surveying two places — Panjab and Madhya Pradesh — for market expansion, MD Minoru Shimada told NutraIngredients-Asia.

China beverage firm Wahaha to launch new probiotic range as it ramps up health focus

02-Aug-2018 By Tingmin Koe

Hangzhou Wahaha Group will be launching three new probiotic products that are targeted at women, children, and the elderly.

Exclusive: Video / analysis / infographics

China in Focus – Probiotics: From sports nutrition to weight management, the market is booming

16-Jul-2018 By Gary Scattergood

China's probiotics market is going from strength to strength, with suppliers and industry experts reporting rapid growth. Therefore, we have made the sector the subject of the first of our in-depth three-part China in Focus features.

Review finds promising, if preliminary, data backing mood support effects for probiotics, prebiotics and omega-3s

11-Jul-2018 By Hank Schultz

A recent review of studies on interventions with probiotics, prebiotics and omega-3s shows that there is promising data backing these ingredients’ effects on ameliorating anxiety, stress and depression. But much more research is needed to identify pathways,...

Probiota Americas 2018 in Miami

Pilot study sheds light on probiotics’ potential as novel therapy for depression symptoms

18-Jun-2018 By Adi Menayang

Building on previous studies on the gut-brain axis, PhD candidate Caroline Wallace postulates that probiotics consumption may modulate depression symptoms.

PEEK INSIDE: IPAWC + PROBIOTA 2018, BARCELONA 7-9 FEBRUARY

Depression: A new role for probiotics in nutritional psychiatry?

15-Jan-2018 By Tim Cutcliffe

The possibility that probiotics could be a new tool in fighting depression is gaining increasing attention in nutritional psychiatry, says Caroline Wallace ahead of her talk at the IPA World Congress + Probiota 2018 next month.

'Live cultures are not all probiotic, although all probiotics are live cultures...'

CHR Hansen sees growing demand for probiotics in drinkable yogurts, kids’ snacks, plant-based fermented foods

17-Dec-2017 By Elaine Watson

US consumers are increasingly interested in the relationship between intestinal bacteria and overall health, says CHR Hansen, but there is some confusion about which foods and beverages contain probiotics: live microorganisms that, when administered in...

A revolution in microbiome analysis? Novel method offers ‘true’ quantitative analysis of gut bacteria

17-Nov-2017 By Nathan Gray

New methods to measure and accurately quantify the levels of gut bacteria in stool samples could be a revolution for researchers and companies looking to link our gut bacteria make up to specific issues of health and disease.

The 18 things we learned from the IPA’s DC Workshop 2017

03-Nov-2017 By Stephen Daniells

From market sizing to the need for global probiotics standards at Codex, the International Probiotic Association’s second DC workshop in collaboration with the US Pharmacopeia succeeded in providing a venue for sharing knowledge and expertise.

Vox Pop: Consumers are familiar with the word ‘probiotic,’ but struggle to define it

02-Nov-2017 By Adi Menayang

Probiotics are distinct types of bacteria that have been clearly defined by health authorities around the world, trade associations, as well as the World Health Organization. However, this definition may have not yet entered mainstream consciousness.

ISAPP launches education videos to counter common myths around probiotics

16-Oct-2017 By Stephen Daniells

What is a probiotic? What are the health benefits of probiotics? Are all probiotics the same? And how to choose a probiotic product are the topics of a new video initiative from the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics to...

DuPont invests $10 million to upgrade Wisconsin probiotic facility

18-Aug-2017 By Adi Menayang

DuPont Nutrition & Health upgraded its probiotics pilot facility in Madison, WI, a project that costs around $10 million and aims to increase pace of new product development.

Gut health & sleep: Is there potential for pre- and probiotics for sleep improvement?

14-Jun-2017 By Stephen Daniells

The potential link between the gut microbiota and sleep is emerging, so could prebiotics and probiotics find a lucrative place in the booming natural sleep aid category?

What is a probiotic? IPA releases guidance document on qualifying probiotics

05-Jun-2017 By Stephen Daniells

The definition of probiotic varies by region, and an increasing number of products potentially mislabeled as “probiotic”. In response, the International Probiotics Association has released a guidance document.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Separating fact from fiction when formulating with probiotics

03-Feb-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Once restricted to a handful of products, such as yogurt, probiotics are enjoying unprecedented popularity and are popping up in unexpected places with many bold health claims, but not everything consumers or manufacturers hear about probiotics is true.

Gut health paper aimed at physicians sidesteps probiotics supplementation

03-Aug-2016 By Hank Schultz

A recent paper released by a nonprofit organization aimed at physicians focuses on gut health but omits any mention of probiotic supplementation. The author says that in her opinion the science behind the ingredients is still immature.

Experts react to ‘waste of money’ headlines against probiotics

11-May-2016 By Adi Menayang

A recent article posted on The Daily Beast went with the headline “Probiotics Are a Waste of Money for Healthy Adults.” The story itself is based on findings from a Danish study. We reached out to some people in the industry and academia for a second...

Regulation of Probiotics in the USA: Food

25-Apr-2016 By Ivan Wasserman, counsel to the International Probiotics Association & partner at the law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP in Washington, DC

The United States Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulation of products containing probiotics is complex and largely depends on the claims that are made for the product. For example, they can be regulated as foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics,...

Hospital inpatients increasingly receiving probiotics: Survey

15-Mar-2016 By Stephen Daniells

A “sizable and growing number” of inpatients are receiving probiotics, according to a survey of 145 US hospitals.

IPA challenges article's assertion that science behind probiotics is 'shaky'

29-Jan-2016 By Hank Schultz

A recent online article that labeled the science backing probiotics as “shaky” was criticized by the International Proibiotics Association as lacking context and a basic understanding of the industry and the evidence behind it.

Special Edition: Innovations in Delivery Systems

Surviving the stomach takes center stage in world of probiotic innovation

29-Jul-2015 By Hank Schultz

Innovation in delivery modes has been a hallmark of the probiotic space for many years. That’s because researchers saw early on that to deliver on their benefits, probiotics had to survive the death march through the stomach’s acid defenses.

Probiota Americas

Biomakers of resilience could elucidate structure function claims for probiotics, experts say

08-Jun-2015 By Hank Schultz

How do probiotic researchers and suppliers best communicate with customers?  And what should they be trying to tell them, anyway? Having a clear picture of what gut and blood parameters a dietary intervention is meant to affect and having a clear mechanism...

US, Brazil still dominate $10bn probiotic Americas market

07-Apr-2015 By Maggie Hennessy

Ahead of the 2015 Probiota Americas conference in June, NutraIngredients-USA caught up with speaker Monica Feldman, head of consumer health industry research at Euromonitor International, on growth, big brands and key trends in the booming North and South...

Probiotics on the verge of “dramatic second growth curve,” expert says

25-Mar-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Probiotics are on the cusp of a “dramatic second growth curve” that could more than double their sales in supplements in the U.S., but new delivery platforms and uses could threaten the long-term potential growth of supplements in the category, according...

FDA warning over infant's death shouldn't call safety of probiotics into question, experts say

08-Jan-2015 By Hank Schultz

The recall last last year of a probiotic product found to be contaminated with a fungus should not cast a pall over the entire sector, experts say.  Though they are products consisting of cultured microorganisms, probiotic ingredients are no more at risk...

GoodBelly teams up with Microwarriors documentary to advance public knowledge on probiotics

02-Oct-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Leading probiotic juice brand GoodBelly is ‘confident’ its partnership with the Microwarriors documentary will help advance public knowledge about the benefits of probiotics.

DuPont: It seems like the whole world except Europe understands probiotics are backed by solid science

21-Mar-2014 By Elaine WATSON

Americans are often described as lagging behind their European counterparts when it comes to awareness of probiotics, but the growth potential in the US market is “huge”, says leading supplier DuPont. 

Probiota 2014: Chairman calls for industry to 'step up' in fight for probiotics

06-Feb-2014 By Nathan Gray

Probiotic and preboiotic industry players must do more to get consumers on their side in the fight with regulators in the US and EU, and should also be doing more to help save lives in Africa, according to Professor Gregor Reid.

Probiotics during pregnancy and infancy no benefit for asthma: BMJ analysis

10-Dec-2013 By Nathan Gray

While consumption of probiotics may have health benefits, preventing childhood asthma is not one of them, according to new data published in the British Medical Journal.

Panel of experts proposes monograph system to regulate probiotics claims in US

22-Oct-2013 By Hank Schultz

A paper written by a group coordinated out of the University of Maryland proposes significant changes to the way probiotics are regulated, including using a monograph system similar to what regulators use in Canada to govern the use of the organisms.

Probiotics may boost mental performance for diabetics: Animal data

06-Jun-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily consumption of probiotics may improve the mental performance of lab animals with diabetes, says a new study that supports the potential benefits of an optimal microbiome–gut–brain axis.

Cochrane: Probiotics may reduce the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea

31-May-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Consuming supplements and food containing probiotics may reduce the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, according to a systematic review from the prestigious Cochrane Collaboration.

Awareness of probiotics growing worldwide, expert says

29-Mar-2013 By Hank Schultz

Probiotics and their benefits have wide recognition in Europe and Asia, and awareness is growing.  This situation bodes well for growth in the US, while it will serve to buoy manufacturers and marketers of these products in difficult regulatory times...

Probiotics have benefits for antibiotic induced diarrhoea: Meta-analysis

10-May-2012 By Nathan Gray

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

NDI draft guidance comments

IPA: We do not see NDI draft guidance as 'death sentence' for probiotics industry

09-Dec-2011 By Elaine Watson

The only probiotics that should be subject to new dietary ingredient (NDI) notifications should be “new probiotics derived from GM engineering which have little to no history of safe use”, according to the International Probiotics Association (IPA).

Ganeden on 'predatory lawsuits', probiotic tea and the Walmart snowball effect

16-Jun-2011

Elaine Watson caught up with Ganeden Biotech's business development boss Mike Bush at the IFT show to talk about opportunities in the food and drink market for its ultra-resilient BC30 probiotic strain.

American Academy of Pediatrics reviews ‘encouraging’ probiotics science

30-Nov-2010 By Stephen Daniells

The science to support potential health benefits of probiotics is “encouraging” but the available evidence does not support their widespread use, says the American Academy of Pediatrics.