China focus: Culturelle on adult probiotic growth, Yili’s SEA expansion, Daigou rebound
Goji berries compound reduces subthreshold depression in teens – Six-week RCT
Findings of the study were published in Neural Regeneration Research. Twenty-five adolescents between 12 and 18 years old with subthreshold depression completed the six-week double-blind RCT.
The results showed that supplementation of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide extracted from goji berries had reduced depressive symptoms. This included cognitive impairment, retardation, and sleep disturbances.
At the same time, the researchers acknowledged that the results were limited by its small trial size and that the optimal dose of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide was not yet established.
Growing up: Why China’s ‘underdeveloped’ adult probiotic segment will continue to expand – Culturelle
China’s probiotic market has been traditionally driven by products targeted at infants and kids, but global probiotic brand Culturelle believes that the adult market is set for “very strong growth momentum”.
Jason Zhang, regional VP at i-Health Greater China region told NutraIngredients-Asia that the adult probiotic market was underdeveloped but was probably growing at two times faster than the kids segment.
He also believes that China’s adult probiotic market is expected to go down the trajectory of snackification versus the traditional formats of capsules and tablets.
‘Daigou 2.0’: China’s infant formula demand exceeding pre-pandemic levels – Bubs
China’s corporate daigou channel is witnessing high growth momentum and demand for infant formulas is exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels, according to Australian infant formula maker Bubs.
Gross revenue from its corporate daigou channel was up 196 per cent as compared to the same period last year, said the ASX-listed company in its FY2022 Q2 report.
As compared to the previous quarter, gross revenue from corporate daigou was also up 17 per cent. The company has been working on enhancing channel engagement, campaign activation, while maintaining stabilised pricing and balanced fresh inventory levels.
‘Richer and sweeter’: Yili reveals growth strategy to conquer SEA dairy market following Indonesian factory launch
Chinese dairy giant Yili has revealed its growth strategy for the South East Asian dairy market, claiming that products need to have a richer and sweeter taste profile to entice consumers.
The company recently launched an ice-cream plant in Indonesia and purchased Thailand’s largest domestic ice-cream manufacturer Chomthana, establishing what the company calls its ‘dual centres’ in South East Asia.
The two centres are meant to help the company expand directly into the region, enhance its capabilities to serve and respond to local markets.
Astaxanthin supplementation improves symptoms of dry eye disease in middle-aged and elderly Chinese
Oral supplementation of astaxanthin was shown to improve the symptoms and signs of middle-aged and elderly patients with mild-to-moderate dry eye disease (DED) in China.
The study involved 60 middle-aged and elderly patients, where they were given 6mg of astaxanthin tablets twice per day for 30 days.
The tablets were provided by Hangzhou Xinwei Low Carbon Technology R&D Co, while the astaxanthin is of the Haematococcus Pluvialis species.
