AIDP has lined up a deal to bring a line of galacto-oligosaccharides from South Korean firm NeoCramer to the United States. The ingredients have been on the market in Asia for some time, but this marks their debut in North America, said AIDP business development manager Samantha Ford.
Ford said the market for gut health ingredients shows no sign of slowing down.
“We have been establishing ourselves as experts in the gut health space. The space is just booming. Research continues to establish a link between gut health and you name it,” Ford told NutraIngredients-USA.
NeoCramer’s ingredient is called NeoGOS, which is billed as a clinically proven next generation-patented form of prebiotics that promotes healthy bacterial growth. It is believed to support digestive health, prevent colonization by pathogens, and balance beneficial and non-beneficial bacteria in the gut.
NeoGOS is a non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and activity of limited number of beneficial bacteria in the colon. Galacto-oligosaccharides are prebiotic fibers made up of a chain of galactose sugars of variable length. According to NeoCramer, a GOS of the same formula as NeoGOS can be found in human breast milk. NeoCramer assembles its version via a fermentation process.
Skin health as a differentiator
A new prebiotic coming to US shores would not necessarily be big news. New ingredients show up every week, and the trick is to get noticed in that madding crowd. Without some special property, a new ingredient in this market risks having to compete on a commodity basis.
Ford said AIDP believes with NeoGOS it has just that differentiator, via novel data on skin health. Ford said NeoCramer has spent the past few years doing research on how NeoGOS can improve skin moisture, inhibit water loss and decrease erythema and wrinkles on the skin.
The beauty-from-within market thrives in Europe and especially in Asia. In the US it seems perpetually not quite ready for prime time, but Ford said AIDP is convinced that’s about to change and wanted to be ready when that door opens.
“With this particular ingredient, the beauty-from-within idea is what really drew us. Having that clinical study attached to the product really helps. The biggest hurdle is that consumers want instant gratification. They need some education to opt for an ingredient that might reduce wrinkles and increase skin hydration on a span of something like eight to 12 weeks,” Ford said.