Probiotics, prebiotics & postbiotics

Omega-3 player Croda acquires Canadian firm specializing in marine microbes

16-Jan-2018 By Hank Schultz

UK-based chemical giant Croda has announced the acquisition of a Canadian microbial technology company on Prince Edward Island.

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.

Could a healthy microbiome affect genes linked with colon cancer?

12-Jan-2018 By Tim Cutcliffe

Chemical signalling mechanisms in the microbiome seem to be linked to an enzyme previously associated with colon cancer progression, say researchers.

Will 2018 be the year that low FODMAP diets explode?

12-Jan-2018 By Stephen Daniells

The US market for low FODMAP foods aimed at helping IBS sufferers is still small and consumer awareness is low, but companies large and small are targeting a category that could be bigger than gluten-free.

What’s on NutraIngredients-USA's calendar for 2018?

04-Jan-2018 By Stephen Daniells

From weight management to deep dives into sports nutrition, multivitamins, beauty-from-within, personalized nutrition, botanicals, omega-3s, probiotics, and more, Nutraingredients-USA’s 2018 editorial calendar of special editions spans the hottest trends...

DSM to expand gut health portfolio with BioCare Copenhagen deal

22-Dec-2017 By Nathan Gray

Global nutritional ingredients player DSM has acquired BioCare Copenhagen A/S in a deal that will see it expand its probiotic and gut health portfolio.

BiomX boosts microbiome discovery and development with RondinX deal

20-Dec-2017 By Nathan Gray

Israel-based microbiome firm BiomX says the acquisition of RondinX will fortify the company’s bacterial target discovery capabilities and supports its product development pipeline.

Probiotics to Protein: Functional claims to drive $26 billion pet nutrition market in 2018

18-Dec-2017 By Adi Menayang

US consumers today are more keen to pick up a bag of pet food with functional claims and ingredients, such as probiotics, omega fatty acids, and glucosamine, according to the latest pet food market report by research firm Packaged Facts.

'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...

Guest article

Probiotic crusades and other energetic and organized campaigns concerning probiotic issues

15-Dec-2017 By George Paraskevakos, Executive Director of the International Probiotics Association

Despite the connotation of medieval military expeditions when one speaks of crusades, the one which IPA has taken on the last year has not resulted into any blood being spilt. On the contrary, the probiotic crusades have been constructive, open and accepting...

NEWS IN BRIEF

DanoneWave opens applications for $50K grant in yogurt, probiotics, and gut microbiome research

13-Dec-2017 By Adi Menayang

Food and beverage giant Dannon, as a part of DanoneWave Public Benefit Corporation, announced it 6th Annual Yogurt, Probiotics, and the Gut Microbiome Fellowship Grant, which awards two $25,000 research grants for use in 2018.

CODEX and probiotics: Argentina supports IPA proposal to harmonize guidelines

12-Dec-2017 By Stephen Daniells

A proposal by the International Probiotics Association to work towards harmonizing probiotic guidelines for use in foods and dietary supplements has received the support of Argentina, and the country will lead the work.

Lifeway continues to expand beyond kefir with new Elixir sparkling probiotic beverages

06-Dec-2017 By Stephen Daniells

With 95% market share in kefir, Lifeway Foods continues to explore opportunities in the probiotics space, and its new Elixir sparkling probiotic beverages will soon be joined by Icelandic skyr and plant-based protein drinks.

ODI docket comments: Make the list big, or don’t make it at all

06-Dec-2017 By Hank Schultz

Will compiling an official list of Old Dietary Ingredients ultimately be worth the effort? Maybe, but the resulting list must be expansive rather than restrictive to be of much use, most stakeholders agree.

Inability to define bacterial vaginosis may be harming women’s health, suggests review

05-Dec-2017 By Tim Cutcliffe

A lack of clarity over whether bacterial vaginosis constitutes a disease may be deterring investment in probiotic treatments for the condition, according to a recent mini-review in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.

DuPont and Ireland’s APC venture forward in microbiome-inspired pact

30-Nov-2017 By Will Chu

DuPont Nutrition and Health further strengthen their probiotic credentials collaborating with the APC Microbiome Institute in the first of a series of partnerships intended to push microbiome science to the forefront.

Is there a link between exercise, exhaustion and probiotics? Kent State researchers aim to find out

27-Nov-2017 By Adi Menayang

Can probiotics help combat heat-caused complications during exercise? Researchers from Kent State University aim to find out, with the help of a grant from i-Health Inc. and DSM Nutrition.

SOFAR Americas launches Innovia probiotic micro-shot

22-Nov-2017 By Stephen Daniells

With consumers increasingly looking for alternatives to pills, SOFAR Americas has launched a new probiotic micro-shot, and the initial market reception has been very positive for the patented DryCap delivery system.

Engineering the microbiome: Bacterial enzyme 'removal' may offer Crohn's disease promise

22-Nov-2017 By Nathan Gray

Altering the gut microbiome to remove bacteria that possess the bacterial enzyme urease, and increase the population of 'good' bacteria that do not contain the enzyme, may be an effective approach to battling Crohn's disease, say researchers.

Goodgut builds science to support efficacy as products go national

21-Nov-2017 By Stephen Daniells

With new science to support its effects and national distribution in retailers such as Vitamin Shoppe and Walgreens, more and more consumers are purchasing Greenteaspoon’s Goodgut product, says the company’s CEO.

Diverse mix of prebiotics and dietary fibre necessary for intestinal health: Chinese study

17-Nov-2017 By Cheryl Tay

A combination of fibre and probiotics post-operation could benefit gastric cancer patients by preventing diarrhoea, improving intestinal movement and decreasing intestinal disorders, say researchers in China.

Online Digestive Health Conference

Support for digestive health claims among topics for tomorrow's event

14-Nov-2017 By Hank Schultz

Probiotics and prebiotics—the names themselves are a claim, something that companies need always to be aware of. This is one of the topics that will be covered in tomorrow’s Online Digest Health Conference sponsored by NutraIngredients-USA.

Deerland granted use patent for PreforPro bacteriophage

10-Nov-2017 By Stephen Daniells

Georgia-based Deerland Enzymes & Probiotics has received a notice of allowance for its US patent application directed to prebiotic compositions comprising bacteriophages, namely Deerland’s branded prebiotic, PreforPro.

Mouse data backs DuPont prebiotic for multiple effects

10-Nov-2017 By Will Chu

DuPont’s prebiotic fibre could exert positive benefits to the gut microbiome, according to an animal study featured in Nature which also raises future implications on skin, metabolic and even brain health.

Research backing for synbiotic effects still a bit thin, experts say

07-Nov-2017 By Hank Schultz

Synbiotics, or the pairing of a probiotic organism with a compatible prebiotic, remains an alluring concept, but one that still needs more data support, experts say.

Prebiotics forge forward on gut health benefits during fiber guidance interregnum

07-Nov-2017 By Hank Schultz

The state of prebiotic fibers remains in limbo while FDA mulls over comments to its guidance on the subject. But companies can still market their ingredients based on gut health benefits, experts say.

It's still unclear how gut diversity relates to health, researchers say

07-Nov-2017 By Hank Schultz

Researchers agree that a more diverse gut microbiome is a healthier one. But beyond that, they don’t have the basis to agree on much else surrounding the concept of diversity.

Study finds link between gut microbiota, sleep quality and cognitive flexibility

07-Nov-2017 By Stephen Daniells

A new study highlights the link between sleep habits, gut microbiome composition and cognitive flexibility in healthy older adults, but could probiotics benefit sleep-related cognitive issues?

Study explores how composition and function of gut microbiota changes during day

06-Nov-2017 By Stephen Daniells

The composition and function of the microbiota in the human gut changes throughout the day, with links to dietary and bathroom habits. The findings may have implications for the design of future probiotic clinical trials.

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.

Cargill adds EpiCor to ingredients stable

31-Oct-2017 By Hank Schultz

Cargill has moved to purchase the parent company of Embria, makers of EpiCor, a major immune health ingredient.

Researchers suggest there are 'numerous studies' pointing to S. thermophilus as a probiotic candidate

31-Oct-2017 By Adi Menayang

In a new review of existing studies, researchers in France argue that the bacteria Streptococcus thermophilus, used in making yogurt and cheese, has building evidence supporting its probiotic status.

SCIENCE SHORT

Probiotics backed for weight loss benefits: Meta-analysis

31-Oct-2017 By Tim Cutcliffe

Probiotic supplementation with various strains of Lactobacillus have been shown to induce a small but statistically significant weight loss in the obese and overweight, according to a new review and meta-analysis.

Probiotic L. paraplantarum may reduce diabetes-induced liver and kidney damage in rats

30-Oct-2017 By Adi Menayang

Researchers in Serbia found that diabetic lab rats orally administered with the probiotic Lactobacillus paraplantarum BGCG11 experienced a reduced level of DNA damage in the liver and kidney, compared to control rats that didn’t receive probiotics.

Researchers detect prebiotic potential in freeze-dried, powdered agave stem

30-Oct-2017 By Adi Menayang

The plant that gave the world tequila and mezcal may have prebiotic health benefits, according to researchers from Mexico and Germany.

Nutrasource to launch IPRO testing certification program for probiotics

30-Oct-2017 By Stephen Daniells

Nutrasource Diagnostics Inc. is set to launch a certification program to test probiotic brands, helping consumers to make informed choices for their probiotic purchases.

Usage and confidence in supplements up, trust stays high: CRN data

20-Oct-2017 By Stephen Daniells

Seventy-six percent of US adults are using dietary supplements, an increase of 5% on 2016 values, according to results of the 2017 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements.

Acai may offer prebiotic benefits throughout the GI tract, researchers find

19-Oct-2017 By Adi Menayang

The polyphenols found in acai can survive through the digestive system, potentially bringing prebiotic benefits throughout the gastrointestinal tract down to the colon, according to researchers in the UK.

DuPont explores ‘untapped opportunity’ in fermented plant-based beverage whitespace

19-Oct-2017 By Stephen Daniells

Interest in plant-based beverages and fermented beverages separately is intense and growing, but a combination of the two – fermented plant-based beverages – is an untapped opportunity for industry, says DuPont Nutrition & Health.

Fonterra probiotic strain may help relieve post-natal depression, suggests study

19-Oct-2017 By Tim Cutcliffe

Women who consumed the probiotic strain Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 during and after pregnancy showed fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety in the weeks after their infant’s birth, according to research published in EBioMedicine.

Probiota Asia 2017

Multi-strain versus single strain probiotics: More doesn’t necessarily mean better outcomes

19-Oct-2017 By Gary Scattergood

More research is needed to assess the efficacy of multi-strain probiotic treatments, because current data shows that adding more strains doesn’t always lead to better outcomes for all illnesses.

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...

IPA chief on manufacturing standards, the ODI list, global regs, and more

05-Oct-2017 By Stephen Daniells

As growth in probiotics continues to accelerate, the International Probiotics Association is ramping up its regulatory outreach efforts and working on ultimately producing a comprehensive quality guidebook for the probiotic industry, says IPA’s executive...

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