Probiotics, prebiotics & postbiotics

Danone opens access to collection of 1,800 strains

08-May-2019 By Jim Cornall

A hundred years after creating its first yogurt, Danone has announced it will open its collection of 1,800 strains for research purposes.

NutraIngredients-USA Awards 2019: And the finalists are…

08-May-2019 By Stephen Daniells

NutraIngredients-USA is pleased to announce the finalists for the NutraIngredients-USA Awards 2019... the winners will be announced at our awards evening in New Orleans on June 3rd.

DuPont to manufacture novel probiotic strain for clinical trial on sepsis in Bangladeshi infants

06-May-2019 By Cheryl Tay

DuPont is manufacturing a new probiotic strain for use in an upcoming large-scale clinical study in Bangladesh, which will test the effects of probiotics on gut microbiome of infants with sepsis.

European patent granted for long-life softgel capsule for probiotics and oil

02-May-2019 By Nikki Cutler

Ayanda, the European HQ of the Sirio Group, has secured a European patent for its softgel capsules able to contain an active probiotic bacteria alongside oil, therefore reducing the number of dosages needed to reach supplement needs.

‘Designer prebiotics’ are the future of food and microbiome modulation, says expert

02-May-2019 By Nikki Cutler

‘Designer prebiotics’ have greater potential than probiotics to be able to modify our microbiomes and improve our long-term health, according to the founder and CEO of a trailblazing life science firm.

One day to go! Deadline fast approaching for scientific abstracts for IPA World Congress + Probiota Americas 2019

We want to hear from you for our Scientific Frontiers sessions & for Probiota Pioneers!

29-Apr-2019 By Stephen Daniells

Are you interested in presenting your latest state-of-the-art developments related to prebiotic, probiotic and microbiome science relevant to human health, well-being, consumers and industry? If so, we would like to hear from you!

Arabinoxylan prebiotic from food waste set to debut in North American markets

25-Apr-2019 By Hank Schultz

Canadian company Comet Bio has earned recognition for its method of up cycling agricultural waste into functional ingredients, including a new prebiotic and a low calorie sweetener.

Probiotic strain makes use of gut-brain axis to aid stress management, study finds

25-Apr-2019 By Will Chu

A probiotic strain of Bifidobacterium longum appears to improve the ability to respond and cope with stress as research provides more proof of the bidirectional communication between the gut and brain.

Editor's Spotlight: Video Diary

WATCH: Regulatory scrutiny places emphasis on probiotic mechanisms of action

24-Apr-2019 By Will Chu

Do we need to know a probiotic’s mechanism of action? It’s a question posed by DuPont Nutrition and Health’s Dr Arthur Ouwehand as he took to the stage at Probiota.

Study hails chitin-glucan’s prebiotic ability to ‘shape bifidobacterial gut communities’

24-Apr-2019 By Will Chu

Chitin-glucan (CG) is an effective novel prebiotic, say researchers who believe this compound could supplement the diet to boost bifidobacteria numbers and their benefits to gut health.

Mexican study suggests potential prebiotic activity of mango peel

22-Apr-2019 By Stephen Daniells

Mango peel may selectively boost the growth of beneficial bacteria, and open up opportunities to use the waste material as a prebiotic ingredient, suggests a new study from Mexico.

From the editor’s desk:

Are proprietary blends useful tools, or the bane of the industry?

19-Apr-2019 By Hank Schultz

The move toward transparency can run up against competitive concerns when it comes to blends. Participants at a recent botanicals conference had taken to referring to proprietary blends as the ‘bane of the industry.’

Nutrition meets pharma: Experts discuss the future of the microbiome - WATCH

18-Apr-2019 By Nathan Gray

With ever-blurring lines between the food and pharmaceutical space, the NutraIngredients team asked experts at our recent Probiota conference how they believe the microbiome space will develop in the future.

Heinz reels from latest probiotic health claim rejection by EFSA

18-Apr-2019 By Will Chu

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has rejected a health claim related to a probiotic that claims to boost the immune system against pathogens in the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts.

Anlit reveals 'all encompassing' probiotic and cranberry chew for women

18-Apr-2019 By Nikki Cutler

Israeli supplement developer Anlit, has created a women's health probiotic chew containing six strains of live bacteria plus cranberry extract to support genitourinary tract health.

Carbiotix’s latest funding round point to closer ties between the gut and pharma

12-Apr-2019 By Will Chu

Swedish-based Carbiotix continues to build on its gut health testing activities, having closed its latest funding round, bringing the total raised to date at €1m over the past 4 years.

Calling all Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Microbiome start-ups!

Put your start-up center stage with our new Probiota Pioneers session

12-Apr-2019 By Stephen Daniells

NutraIngredients-USA is on the hunt for entrepreneurial consumer-facing, science- or technology-based start-ups to join our Probiota Pioneers session and present their company in Vancouver.

Editor's Spotlight: Video Diary

WATCH: Sports nutrition brands reveal the top trends and their innovations

10-Apr-2019 By Nikki Cutler

The mass market is showing a strong interest in sports nutrition that offers soft textured and lower calorie protein bars, indulgent-tasting treats, BCAA’s, high fibre and new formats made for baking.

The shifting politics of nutrition: Time for a national uprising?

10-Apr-2019 By Nikki Cutler

With the European elections coming up and Brexit debate sending the UK's government into disarray, Peter Wennstrom, business strategist and founder of Healthy Marketing Team, points out the worrying parallels between politics and nutrition.

Protein and fermentable fibre for gut health: The 'critical unanswered questions' in undernutrition

09-Apr-2019 By Nikki Cutler

Increasing the consumption of fermentable carbohydrates and protein to improve gut function may be the answer to boosting nutritional health and cutting malnourishment around the world, according to academics from Imperial College London.

Micreos receives €30m finance boost to accelerate skin microbiome venture

08-Apr-2019 By Will Chu

Dutch biotech firm Micreos announces a €30m funding boost to develop its endolysin technology, an antibiotic alternative that rebalances the skin microbiome to tackle inflammatory skin conditions.

Human study suggests holistic psychological benefits of multi-strain probiotic

02-Apr-2019 By Nikki Cutler

A daily dose of a multi-strain probiotic can provide a significant improvement in mood, with a reduction in depressive, anger, and fatigue, and an improvement in sleep quality, according to a new study in Italy.

Probiotic-infused foods’ influence on gut sets future personalised nutrition agenda

01-Apr-2019 By Will Chu

Scientists have outlined the effect of fermented foods on the gut environment, as the boost in beneficial bacteria numbers may give rise to better defined personalised nutrition schemes in the future.

Dr Gregor Reid: ‘Too much misinformation has stemmed from misuse of the probiotic term’

29-Mar-2019 By Stephen Daniells

Sensationalized studies on probiotics coupled with marketing misuse of the term are fanning the flames of global skepticism, and industry must do better to strictly comply to the scientific definition of the term “probiotic” to help advance this important...

Hot Right Now: China's health food crackdown, diet's influence on cancer risk, and new gut health developments

28-Mar-2019 By Cheryl Tay

Read about diet's influence on cancer and Alzheimer's risk, China's '100-day operation', and new innovations and research in the gut health space in this round-up of our top five trending stories on social media.

Getting the ‘fiber’ definition helpful but not a panacea for putting word out about prebiotic benefits

25-Mar-2019 By Hank Schultz

Prebiotics that have been classified as dietary fibers still have work to do to educate consumers on their benefits, a supplier says.

Optimising appetite: Probiotic startup exploits gut-brain link to 'retrain' the obese and malnourished

25-Mar-2019 By Nikki Cutler

A trio of biotech experts from France have developed a probiotic start-up company which aims to utilise the gut-brain axis to retrain the appetite of both obese and malnourished patients.

Beyond supplements: How are new encapsulation technologies driving innovation - WATCH

22-Mar-2019 By Nathan Gray

A combination of regulatory hurdles and growing consumer demand for more effective products means companies are looking for new ways to innovate with encapsulation technologies and delivery systems, say experts speaking to NutraIngredients.

ENCAPSULATION TECHNOLOGIES: BEYOND SUPPLEMENTS

Delivery by design: How can companies approach delivery systems more rationally?

22-Mar-2019 By Nathan Gray

While there has been an explosion in interest over colloidal delivery systems in recent years there has also been disconnect between primary research and commercialisation, says one expert who believes a novel ‘delivery by design’ approach could speed...

DuPont backed study backs multi-strain high-dose formulations

22-Mar-2019 By Will Chu

As probiotic strain and dosage choice remain ongoing industry challenges, a study demonstrates the successful blending of different strains at higher doses via a multi-species formulation.

Probiotic supplementation may alleviate chemo-induced diarrhoea, study says

20-Mar-2019 By Will Chu

Probiotic supplementation may be a potential remedy to the effects of chemotherapy-induced diarrhoea (CID) in patients with lung cancer, according to researchers.

Biosearch Life project aims to cut mothers' antibiotic use and boost babies' microbiota colonisation

18-Mar-2019 By Nikki Cutler

Spanish biotech firm Biosearch Life, has committed to a three-year project to discover how mothers' microbiotas can be modulated during pregnancy and lactation in an aim to cut antibiotic use and boost babies' microbiota colonisation, therefore...

SCFA-production: Study assesses prebiotic influence on microbiome

14-Mar-2019 By Nikki Cutler

A new study into microbiome responses has shown how different fermentable fibres provide varying benefits to the gut health of different individuals.

News in Brief

Clasado names former Optibiotix commercial director as CEO

13-Mar-2019 By Nathan Gray

Bimuno brand owner Clasado has appointed Per Rehné, former commercial director of Optibiotix as CEO as the firms looks to sharpen its strategy in the microbiome space.

French microbiome-focused fund announces €200m+ raised in first close

13-Mar-2019 By Will Chu

Health for Life Capital II (HFL II) - Seventure Partners’ microbiome-focused fund, announces its first close after raising over €200m in finance that continues venture capitalist (VC) interest in gut health innovation and foodtech.

International Women's Day: Market Focus

Women's health gaining importance in probiotics, says Lumina Intelligence

08-Mar-2019 By Nathan Gray

Sweden and China are leading the way in terms of availability and engagement with probiotic products specifically tailored to women's health, says Ewa Hudson of Lumina Intelligence.

Editor's Spotlight: Video Diary

'Omic' technologies are the tool to beef up scientific rigour of probiotic strains — WATCH

07-Mar-2019 By Will Chu

‘Omic’ technologies such as microbiome and metagenome analysis are defining the molecular basis of many pathologies, according to an expert, who outlines the challenges that lie ahead for the industry.

Milk mycobiota: Could yeast and fungi in breast milk benefit infants?

06-Mar-2019 By Nathan Gray

New research identifying the presence of yeasts and other fungi in human breast milk suggests these microorganisms may also play a role in infant health and development, say those behind the study.

Editor's spotlight: Startup Focus

Icelandic sailor jumps on the wave of probiotic food and drink with versatile powders

04-Mar-2019 By Nikki Cutler

An Icelandic sailor has set sail on a mission to bring the benefits of collagen and probiotics to the everyday consumer with a range of health-boosting powders that can be added to teas, cakes, soups, smoothies and more.

New studies uncover probiotics' influence on sperm quality, say researchers

04-Mar-2019 By Nikki Cutler

Recent studies revealing a probiotic's ability to manage male sub-fertility with co-existing chronic pain and obesity, will significantly boost scientific interest in probiotics for infertility treatment, researchers revealed during the recent Probiota...

Clinical Nutrition in Focus

Medical nutrition futures: Nutritional therapies should not neglect the microbiome, warn researchers

28-Feb-2019 By Nathan Gray

Nutrition solutions for critically ill patients should not ignore the potential of modulating gut bacteria for health, say researchers who suggest current enteral feeding solutions do not support gut defences and the microbiome.

Inter-species communication? New study shows gut bacteria can control our genes and development

28-Feb-2019 By Nathan Gray

Bacteria in our guts may be impacting human health and disease by telling host genes what to do, say researchers who have uncovered a new mechanism by which our microbiome communicates with and controls the DNA of our own cells.

Symrise and Probi explore probiotic ingredient uses for skin

28-Feb-2019 By Will Chu

Symrise will collaborate with Swedish probiotics firm Probi in a deal that targets the nutricosmetic sector with probiotic-based products that look to address sensitive and dry skin.

Editor's Spotlight: Video Diary

EC’s ‘predict and prevent’ preference aims to consolidate microbiome data methods - WATCH

27-Feb-2019 By Will Chu

With the European Commission (EC) backing microbiome research to the tune of €167.2m between 2014 and 2017, metagenomics findings are becoming increasingly more detailed and insightful.

Fermented soluble wheat fibre found to possess high prebiotic potential: Study

26-Feb-2019 By Will Chu

Subjecting wheat arabinogalactan-peptide (AGP) to the fermentation process results in significantly higher prebiotic activity that could boost proportions of beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Transparency: The clear route to success in the wellness space?

25-Feb-2019 By Nikki Cutler

Brand ethics and transparency are crucial for any entrepreneur looking for success in the health food and wellness space, according to industry experts at the recent Probiota conference in Copenhagen (February 13th-15th).

ADM Protexin aims to get ahead in probiotics with pain control capsules

25-Feb-2019 By Nikki Cutler

ADM Protexin, the healthcare manufacturer, is aiming to provide a natural way to fight headaches with a new Bio-Kult capsule containing 14 strains of probiotic bacteria, plus magnesium and vitamin B6.

Product reviews reveal 'clear gap' in the probiotics market

22-Feb-2019 By Nikki Cutler

There are clear untapped opportunities within probiotics for women's health, according to new research into the online reviews revealed at Probiota Copenhagen last week.

EDITOR'S SPOTLIGHT: PROBIOTA EUROPE 2019

LISTEN NOW: Behind the scenes at Probiota: The Scientific Committee's role

22-Feb-2019 By Will Chu

Our teams of journalists were out in force at Probiota last week. We’ve picked out some of our highlights from a packed programme of talks on industry insights that showcase the best of all things microbiome-related.

Trust in probiotics damaged by food industry’s unhealthy and 'aggressive' past, warns regulation expert

21-Feb-2019 By Nikki Cutler

Probiotic food and drink firms may struggle to gain consumer trust thanks to the negative image of the food industry caused by a history of 'aggressive marketing' of unhealthy products, delegates of Probiota Copenhagen heard last week.