China’s Wecare Probiotics to advance US, Europe markets post award win
China’s Wecare Probiotics is advancing its market presence in the US and Europe after bagging a win for Ingredient of the Year: Sports Nutrition at NutraIngredients Awards 2025 held Barcelona on May 21.
The company took home the title with its probiotic ingredient Weizmannia coagulans BC99.
This is a Bacillus coagulans strain that has been shown to support the absorption of protein. It was praised by the judges for its clinical trial evidence, as well as its improvements in areas beyond muscle quality.
BGG expands astaxanthin facility in China as part of ambition to double sales by 2028
BGG has invested into expanding its astaxanthin manufacturing facilities in China to realise its ambition of doubling sales by 2028.
This comes after a major expansion from 2023 to 2024, which the company said more than doubled its production capacity and cemented its position as the world’s largest astaxanthin producer.
The concentration of capabilities will boost operational efficiency and productivity through faster technology transfer times and closer collaboration between operations and R&D, ultimately leading to a sharpened innovation pipeline and accelerated speed to market.
Probiotics show promise for improving cognitive function, China meta-analysis
Probiotics could become a key tool in managing cognitive decline, according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis.
This finding could strengthen the case for the gut-brain axis as a therapeutic target in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, the researchers wrote in PLOS One.
The meta-analysis, conducted by Henan University, found a moderate but statistically significant improvement in cognitive function among those taking probiotics compared to placebo.
Early probiotic use in children plays protective role for obesity prevention – study
A Chinese study has highlighted the potential protective role of probiotic supplementation in infants and toddlers for preventing overweight and obesity during the preschool period.
The probiotic product studied contain Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis R0033, Bifidobacterium bifidum R0071, and Lactobacillus helveticus R0052.
Writing in Frontiers in Nutrition, the researchers also reported girls showing a lower risk of obesity compared to boys on probiotics supplementation.
Haleon replicates China VMS success in the Philippines and Korea
Haleon has revealed how it is replicating features of its successful Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements (VMS) business model in China to other markets, including The Philippines and South Korea.
For example, it is introducing a programme similar to “Bone Up China” in The Philippines, as it seeks to expand the market presence of its calcium supplement brand Caltrate.
In contrast to China where the focus has been largely on the ageing population, a key target audience in The Philippines would be pregnant women, as they are also a group that requires calcium and bone support.
