Probiotics, prebiotics & postbiotics

EFSA rejects Lactobacillus casei probiotic gut health claim

07-Jun-2012

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) this week rejected 74 probiotic health claim dossiers it had been sent for a second reading after many of them were initially turned down for reasons such as inadequate strain characterisation. Its rejection logic...

Only five days to go for the SkinCare Ingredients 2012 VTS

07-Jun-2012 By Simon Pitman

If you haven’t registered already now is the time to do so for the SkinCare Ingredients Virtual Trade Show, which is open for business at 2pm Central European Time, on June 13th.

EFSA health claim opinions

EFSA slams door on probiotic health claims (again); Prunes pass

06-Jun-2012 By Shane Starling

Hopes that the resubmission of 74 probiotic health dossiers would win a sector-first claim in the EU have been dashed after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) held its earlier line and unanimously rejected them all.

Cereal fibers show prebiotic potential in bread: Puratos study

04-Jun-2012 By Stephen Daniells

Bread enriched with specific cereal fibers may beneficially modify bacterial populations in the gut without any adverse effects, says a new study by scientists from the University of Reading, UK and Puratos.

Probiotic health claims find an EU lifeline

04-Jun-2012 By Shane Starling

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) may have rejected 100% of the probiotic health claim applications that have in recent years appeared in its inbox, leading some to suggest the end of claim-making in the sector, but member state actions are demonstrating...

Probiotic-fibre blend delivers IBS benefits: King’s College

30-May-2012 By Shane Starling

Clinical data from King’s College in the UK has shown significant Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) reduction for a proprietary probiotic-fibre blend offered by UK start-up, Symprove.

DISPATCHES FROM VITAFOODS EUROPE 2012

EndoSeaRch: A new way to modify gut health?

30-May-2012 By Nathan GRAY

A new approach to modifying gut bacteria via orally delivered minerals has been gaining a lot of interest from probiotics players, says Aquapharm.

EU article 13 health claim compliance D Day: December 14, 2012

25-May-2012 By Shane Starling

The controversial European Union article 13 health claim list has this morning been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, giving companies until December 14 to get their claim-making in order.

EU article 13 health claims register

222 EU health claims become law; experts predict “tsunami of cheap innovation”

16-May-2012 By Shane Starling

It’s official. Companies have six months – until December – to comply with the controversial European Union article 13, general function health claims register which today won final approval from the European Commission.

Vitafoods: EU nutra space wriggles into new health claims clothes

15-May-2012 By Shane Starling

Vitafoods celebrates its 15th birthday next week. It’ll be my 11th consecutive May visit to Geneva for the jamboree and promises to be one of the most intriguing chapters with the (partial and belated) resolution of years of ambiguity regarding health...

Sexier mice eat probiotic yogurt: researcher hints at human implications

11-May-2012 By Ben Bouckley

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 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.

Red wine polyphenols show prebiotic potential: Study

09-May-2012 By Stephen Daniells

Polyphenol compounds in red wine may selectively boost the growth of certain bacteria in the gut, says a new study from Spain.

Prebiotics may reduce severity of colitis, say researchers

04-May-2012 By Nathan Gray

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

Researchers tout potential of probiotic coating for partially baked bread

02-May-2012 By Oliver Nieburg

A probiotic coating added to the surface of bread through microcapsules can produce functional bread with similar characteristics to common bread, according to a study.

Breast milk probiotic targets Spanish mammary inflammation

26-Apr-2012 By Shane Starling

Spanish supplier Biosearch Life is targeting women suffering from mastitis with its human breast milk-derived probiotic strain previously used only in infant formula products.

Gut bacteria could hold key in obesity fight

26-Apr-2012 By Nathan Gray

Modifying the bacterial profile of the gut could help to alter our risk becoming obese, according to new research in rats.

Probiotic research must better combine technology and functionality, argue researchers

25-Apr-2012 By Nathan Gray

Probiotic research needs to change in its basic paradigm, so that it takes an over-arching approach to addressing issues with both technology and functionality, according to new research.

Nestlé’s €9bn Pfizer buy may face anti-trust trouble

23-Apr-2012 By Shane Starling

Nestlé’s $11.85bn (€9.02bn) acquisition of Pfizer Nutrition may run into anti-trust hurdles after it beat Danone to the drug giant’s global infant nutrition business, according to an analyst.

Chr Hansen shares jump 9% on strong H1 profits

19-Apr-2012 By Shane Starling

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 By Stephen Daniells

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.

Food manufacturers ditch health claims for nutrition

05-Apr-2012 By Rick Pendrous

Many food and drink manufacturers are set to abandon health claims approval under new EU legislation and go, instead, for nutrition claims, for which the approvals hurdle is much lower, according to experts.

Israeli firm launches lactose-free probiotic chewables in Finland

04-Apr-2012 By Shane Starling

Israeli omega-3 and probiotic supplements manufacturer Anlit has teamed up with Finnish supplements marketer Axellus Group on a lactose-free probiotic chew aimed primarily at children.

Probiotics fail to reduce risk of cold and ‘flu in seniors

27-Mar-2012

Drinking Yakult daily did not affect the risk of developing upper respiratory tract infections like the cold and ‘flu, according to randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Scandinavian CROs merge; eye health claim success

27-Mar-2012 By Lynda Searby

The key to submitting a successful health claims dossier under the EU Heath and Nutrition Claims Regulation (NHCR) lies in focusing on one single risk factor, and is the main reason why probiotic claim applications have been knocked back, advises Essi...

Indian market shows Eastern promise for probiotics

26-Mar-2012 By Lynda Searby

Indians are dosing up on probiotics to counter gastrointestinal health problems, reports Swedish biotech company Probi, as it announces a deal that will see its Probi Digestis probiotic formulation dispensed to millions of Indian consumers.

MEP Harkin on EU health claims:“It is very difficult to know where to go from here”

22-Mar-2012 By Shane Starling

Irish MEP Marian Harkin said the European nutrition industry must look forward after a European Parliamentary committee yesterday rejected a bid to overturn a controversial, 222-strong health claims list.

Chr Hansen signs probiotic stabilisation deal

15-Mar-2012

Danish ingredients supplier Chr Hansen is teaming up with Maryland firm, Advanced BioNutrition, to better stabilise its probiotic strains.

Resistant starch shows blood sugar benefits for men

14-Mar-2012 By Stephen Daniells

Thirty grams per day of resistant starch may improve sensitivity to insulin by a whopping 73% for men, but not women, suggests a new study from National Starch.

Biofortis unites global nutrition research activity in western France

09-Mar-2012

Nutritional researcher and trial designer Biofortis has opened a new HQ that will centralise its four main operations near the western French city of Nantes.

Pre and probiotics in formula could boost infant immunity

06-Mar-2012 By Nathan Gray

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.

RCT supports gut health boosting potential of wheat bran extract

06-Mar-2012 By Stephen Daniells

Three weeks of supplementation with a wheat bran extract may beneficially alter markers of gut health, say results of a placebo-controlled cross-over human intervention trial from Belgium.

DuPont eyes increased food and nutrition focus to boost 2012 sales growth

05-Mar-2012 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

An increased focus on food and nutrition is expected to become a major sales growth driver at DuPont in 2012, according to the company’s executive vice president James Borel.

Global Alliance for Probiotics: There is a “discord” between science and claims

02-Mar-2012 By Shane Starling

The newly formed Global Alliance for Probiotics (GAP) has issued its first public statement, affirming that a complete rethink of probiotic health claim rules is required in the European Union, and forwarding industry rights to take part in that process.

PARNUTS revision

Industry backs vote to amend PARNUTs framework

01-Mar-2012 By Kacey Culliney

European industry and consumer groups have broadly backed draft amendments to the much-debated specialised foods Directive known as PARNUTs.

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

23-Feb-2012 By Nathan Gray

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.

Lesaffre submits probiotic ‘intestinal comfort’ health claim to EFSA

22-Feb-2012 By Shane Starling

The human nutrition division of French yeast and probiotic specialist Lesaffre says a new probiotic dossier will win Europe’s first ever probiotic health claim due to the existence of, “3-4 proprietary studies”.

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

22-Feb-2012 By Shane Starling

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.

Convergence ‘megatrend’ will marry soft drinks to dairy in 2012, Rabobank

22-Feb-2012 By Ben Bouckley

Consumer demand for health and wellness beverages worldwide is leading to greater convergence between soft drinks and dairy beverages, according to Rabobank.

UK Dept of Health: ‘Contains glucosamine’ an implied health claim

20-Feb-2012 By Shane Starling

The UK Department of Health has indicated nutrition-style claims like ‘contains glucosamine’ or ‘contains probiotics’ will be deemed implied health claims if they are the subject of negative EFSA opinions.

Nestlé invests €50m in 5-year probiotic licensing deal

15-Feb-2012 By Shane Starling

Swedish probiotics player BioGaia is welcoming a 5-year, €50.8m extension to a licensing deal with Nestlé for use of its Lactobacillus reuteri probiotic strain in infant nutrition products.

Dispatches from Probiotic Summit

EFSA is right to dismiss “overrated” peer-reviewed probiotic science: Consultant

08-Feb-2012 By Shane Starling in Brussels

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) should discount probiotic studies that have passed peer-review and been published in even the most prestigious nutrition science journals, because the peer-review process itself “is overrated”, says a leading...

Dispatches from Probiotic Summit

Danone: “Probiotics category could disappear”

07-Feb-2012 By Shane Starling in Brussels

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...

Danone: Characterisation may be least concern for probiotic health claims

06-Feb-2012 By Shane Starling

A Danone official has said the resolution of characterisation issues may not be enough to win positive opinions for a batch of probiotic health claims just resubmitted to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

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

03-Feb-2012 By Shane Starling

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 By Elaine Watson

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.

Potential lifeline for probiotic yogurt claims

02-Feb-2012 By Rick Pendrous

Loopholes in the law may save probiotic yogurt manufacturers from having to remove products from sale when the new EU nutrition and health claims legislation comes into effect.

Health claims register enters European Parliament as veto calls rise

31-Jan-2012 By Shane Starling

Paola Testori Coggi, the director general of the EC’s Health and Consumer Health Directorate (DG Sanco), yesterday presented a health claims register containing 222 approvals and about 2000 rejections to a European Parliament (EP) committee, as lobbying...

Probi sales jump 17% in 2011 as supplements market shines

25-Jan-2012 By Shane Starling

Swedish probiotics supplier Probi has turned in healthy annual figures with sales up 17% to SEK94.4m (€10.67m) in 2011 from SEK80.4 (€9.90m) in 2010.

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

24-Jan-2012 By Nathan Gray

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.