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Probi announced 1st production batches of dairy-free BLIS K12

01-Apr-2022 - Last updated on 01-Apr-2022 at 22:14 GMT

BLIS K12 is part of a portfolio of clinically documented bacterial strains for supporting our natural immune defense and preventing infections of the mouth and throat. Image © Jan-Otto / Getty Images

Probiotic player Probi has completed the first commercial production batches of a dairy-free BLIS K12 at its US manufacturing site, with the new BLIS strains available shortly to customers around the world.

Probi entered a strategic partnership with Blis Technologies Ltd. as part of a long-term strategic collaboration in July, 2021. As part of this partnership, Probi and Blis signed a licensing and distribution agreement. Probi is now manufacturing BLIS strains at its recently upgraded fermentation facility in Redmond, WA.

BLIS oral probiotics were developed by scientists at the University of Otago in New Zealand. The probiotics are based on a specific strain of Streptococcus salivarius (S. salivarius), which secretes powerful antimicrobial molecules called BLIS: Bacteriocin-Like-Inhibitory Substances.

There are different BLIS ingredients available, including K12 and M18: K12 supports ENT health and M18 supports teeth and gum health.

Steve Preston, Probi’s Head of Fermentation, said: “The technology transfer of BLIS strains to Probi has gone smoothly and we have been able to make very rapid progress due to our sizable investments in fermentation technology and upgrades to our analytical capability.

“Furthermore, as part of our high throughput screening program for culture media optimization, we have been able to completely eliminate the need for dairy (milk) products in the formulation. We believe this is very helpful for customers seeking to produce allergen-free probiotic products.”