Probiotics, Prebiotics & Postbiotics

Financials round-up: Spotlight on Danone, Unilever, Otsuka, Kirin, a2 milk

16-Apr-2024 By Tingmin Koe

This round-up looks at how international and regional health and nutrition companies have fared in their latest financial performance, featuring insights from Danone, Unilever, Otsuka, Kirin, and The a2 Milk Company.

Gut microbiota profile could be key to better anti-obesity treatment: China study

16-Apr-2024 By Cheryl Marie Tay

Assessing obese individuals’ gut microbiota profiles could lead to a more comprehensive understanding of obesity and how to treat those suffering from the condition, according to researchers in China.

Supplier news: Spotlight on Sami-Sabinsa, PhytoGaia, Synbio Tech, Kaneka

12-Apr-2024 By Tingmin Koe

In this round-up, we look at some of the latest updates and insights from functional ingredients suppliers, including leadership changes at Sami-Sabinsa, PhytoGaia’s plans for a trial that examines multi-carotenoids’ benefits for weight management, Synbio...

Trend tracker: A closer look at nutra markets across Vietnam, India, and South Korea

05-Apr-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Here is the round-up of the latest nutraceutical trends in Asia-Pacific, including exclusive analysis in Vietnam and India market trends, and how South Korea is seeing a fast growth for its functional probiotics market.

VitamINSIGHTS

Vietnam nutra market: Bone, cognition health trending, with botanicals and traditional formats popular – Exclusive insights

03-Apr-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Bone and cognitive health needs are cited as the trending nutraceutical categories in Vietnam, but companies should keep in mind how the market is still heavily rooted in herbal formulations with a preference for basic dosage formats, despite its rapid...

GALLERY: The 10 most-read APAC health and nutrition stories in March 2024

02-Apr-2024 By Tingmin Koe

From NMN supplements quality to new launches from Nestle China, Meiji, and FY23 results of Haleon and Bayer, here are the most-read stories on NutraIngredients-Asia in March 2024.

Probiotic B. longum BB536 may prevent common cold symptoms, but more research needed to understand how it works

27-Mar-2024 By Audrey Yow

Daily supplementation with B. longum BB536 can suppress common cold-like symptoms in healthy adults, but future studies are required to clarify how it works, according to a new Morinaga-funded study.

BYHEALTH reports nearly 20% revenue growth in FY23 led by protein, probiotics powder sales

25-Mar-2024 By Tingmin Koe

China’s dietary supplement giant BYHEALTH has reported strong revenue growth for its business last year, with operating revenue increasing by nearly 20 per cent led by demand for its protein and probiotics powder supplements.

Science shorts: Latest findings on benefits of probiotics, extra virgin olive oil on obesity

22-Mar-2024 By Tingmin Koe

This round-up looks at the latest health and nutrition research on the benefits of probiotics and extra virgin olive in overweight and obese individuals, including L. bulgaricus's effects in lowering blood triglyceride levels in overweight individuals,...

Prebiotics boost beneficial bacteria for pregnant women and infants, conferring long-term benefits

19-Mar-2024 By Claudia Adrien

Women who were given prebiotic fiber-based dietary supplements during pregnancy and lactation experienced an increase in beneficial bacteria for themselves and their infants, according to a study in Clinical Nutrition.

Morinaga introduces new multifunctional FFCs targeting bone and gut health, fatigue-relief amid growing demand

19-Mar-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

Morinaga Milk is slated to roll out several new Foods with Function Claims (FFCs) that target the major health concerns of Japanese consumers and to meet the increasing demand for multifunctional products.

Instagram posts by nutrition brands under fire for lacking in quality and accuracy – Aussie researchers

18-Mar-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Instagram posts on nutrition are lacking in quality and accuracy, especially those that are posted by brands, says a group of researchers who undertook a study on Australian Instagram accounts.

Nutrachampion podcast

LISTEN: South Korea’s functional probiotics market sees faster growth than generic strains – AceBiome CEO

18-Mar-2024 By Tingmin Koe

South Korea’s functional proprietary probiotics market is growing at a faster rate than the generic gut health category, says the CEO of biotech firm AceBiome in our latest Nutrachampion podcast.

Probiotic L. bulgaricus may not help with weight loss but could decrease blood triglyceride levels – new trial

13-Mar-2024 By Audrey Yow

Supplementation with the probiotic L. bulgaricus may not be helpful for losing weight, but it has the potential to decrease blood triglyceride levels, a new trial has reported.

Probiotics shown to improve BMI, inflammation in obese teens – meta-analysis

12-Mar-2024 By Tingmin Koe

A meta-analysis conducted by China researchers found that probiotic supplementation could improve body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose, and reduce inflammation among obese and overweight teenagers.

VitamINSIGHTS

India market opportunities: Weight, beauty, sports driving growth, but more attention needed on FSMP, glucose control

12-Mar-2024 By Tingmin Koe

India’s nutraceutical sector is rapidly expanding with start-ups, local players, and international brands entering the space, but the market is far from overcrowded and there is still growth space, according to insiders.

Trend tracker: Nutra sales on TikTok Shop Indonesia, creatine boom in India, probiotics for sports

08-Mar-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Here is the round-up of the latest nutraceutical trends in Asia-Pacific, including how the sales of dietary supplements in the re-opened TikTok Shop Indonesia have yet to recover to pre-closure levels, the never-before-seen demand for creatine in India,...

Probiotics database in demand among Singapore healthcare practitioners, says new research

06-Mar-2024 By Tingmin Koe

A comprehensive probiotics database is being sought by healthcare practitioners in Singapore, on the back of greater use and enquiries on such products from the public, according to new research.

GALLERY: The 10 most-read APAC health and nutrition stories in February 2024

05-Mar-2024 By Tingmin Koe

From India's nutraceutical regulations to consumer behaviour in Indonesia, and FY23 financial results from Kirin, Danone, and Otsuka Holdings, here are the most-read stories on NutraIngredients-Asia in February 2024.

Gaia Herbs launches postbiotics fermented from traditional superfoods

04-Mar-2024 By Asia Sherman

Gaia Herbs is targeting gut and immune health with its new range of “full spectrum postbiotics” made with lactic acid bacteria from spontaneous fermentation in either Ginger-Turmeric, Sauerkraut, Ginger-Beet or Kimchi capsules.

FSANZ considers use of Korean firm AP Tech’s 2’-FL HMO in infant formulas

04-Mar-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has started a public consultation regarding the use of 2’-fucosyllactose (2’-FL) produced by Korean firm Advanced Protein Technologies (AP Tech) in infant formulas.

Portfolio revision: Kao transfers functional beverage brand to Kirin to focus on ‘core businesses’

28-Feb-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

Kao Corporation has entered into an agreement with Kirin Beverage Company Limited for the transfer of Healthya, a functional tea-catechin beverage brand, to focus its resources on other business areas to achieve its targets for FY2027.

Multispecies probiotics may have preventive effect on postmenopausal osteoporosis and fractures – Thai RCT

27-Feb-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

A Thai study has found that multispecies probiotic supplementation is protective against postmenopausal bone loss and that its potential as an adjunct treatment for osteoporosis should be further explored.

Danone CEO: China’s business ‘extremely strong’ with infant, medical nutrition sales growing

26-Feb-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Danone’s CEO says that its business in China has been “extremely strong” in FY23 with growth propelled by its specialised nutrition portfolio, which consists of infant and medical nutrition products.

Science shorts: Kewpie, Asahi, Glac Biotech on new findings for hyaluronic acid, pre/probiotics

23-Feb-2024 By Tingmin Koe

This round-up looks at the latest health and nutrition research from Kewpie, Asahi, Glac Biotech and more, including how hyaluronic acid supplementation could help older adults maintain their knees in “healthy condition”, the role of pre/probiotics for...

7-Eleven Singapore adds Ocean Health’s gummies, fast melt powder to its supplement offerings

20-Feb-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Convenience chain 7-Eleven Singapore has included local dietary supplement brand Ocean Health’s products, including gummies and fast melt powder, into its offerings.

Probiotics increase stool frequency in adults suffering from constipation – meta-analysis

20-Feb-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Probiotic supplementation has been shown to increase stool frequency in adults suffering from constipation, new findings from a meta-analysis conducted by Chinese researchers have shown.

Lumina Intelligence insights: What works in the world of biotics?

19-Feb-2024 By Olivia Haslam

The biotics industry is undergoing a transformation, largely directed by customer reviews, proprietary and generic ingredients, synbiotics, and personalisation, according to ecommerce insights service Lumina Intelligence.

Kirin FY23 results: Health functional drinks revenue up 30%, driven by immune and small bottle offerings

19-Feb-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Kirin has reported strong revenue growth for its non-alcoholic beverage business, driven by demand for health functional drinks and especially those in small-volume PET bottles, the company said in its FY2023 financial results.

Multi-strain probiotics show potential to slow progression and improve symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease – Glac Biotech-funded RCT

12-Feb-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

Multi-strain probiotics supplementation has been found to have positive effects on neurotrophic factors, oxidative stress and inflammation, which play important roles in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to Taiwan researchers.

Probiotics in Asia: Bloating from dietary habits, women’s health top reasons for supplementation – Life-Space

12-Feb-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Bloating arising from dietary habits and women’s health are the top reasons for probiotic supplementation in Asian countries, according Life-Space.

Probiotics for stress? B. breve shown to decrease heart rate under stress, increase GABA-like substance

07-Feb-2024 By Tingmin Koe

The supplementation of the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium breve M-16V has shown to modulate the nervous system, such as decreasing heart rate during stress and increasing the production of pipecolic acid – a GABA-like substance for supporting stress...

‘Quality over quantity’: Nutrition consumers prioritising value and efficacy – Nutiani data

07-Feb-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

Consumers coping with rising costs of living are showing a distinct preference for value-for-money products that not only come with an accessible price tag, but are also backed by science and multifunctional, according to latest data from Fonterra-owned...

GALLERY: The 10 most-read APAC health and nutrition stories in January 2024

06-Feb-2024 By Tingmin Koe

From Amway's regenerative agriculture initiative to our analyses on emerging nutrition markets in APAC and nutraceutical trends for this year, here are the most-read stories on NutraIngredients-Asia in January 2024.

Bridging the gap: Kommunity Brew hopes new probiotic drink can combine taste and health benefits

06-Feb-2024 By Hazel Tang

Australian Kombucha firm Kommunity Brew is venturing into the hydration and probiotic drink space as it seeks to grow nationwide.

Google Trends shows Australia tops global searches for gut microbiome, gut probiotics

06-Feb-2024 By Tingmin Koe

An analysis of Google Trends has found that Australia has the highest number of searches for the terms “gut microbiome”, “gut probiotics”, and “dysbiosis” globally, signifying the country’s interest in this category.

Behind the Big Story

How Haleon will meet innovation goals: Deep human understanding, trusted science, partnerships key – WATCH

31-Jan-2024 By Tingmin Koe

A deep understanding of human biology, tapping on trusted science and key partnerships with researchers, start-ups and suppliers are key in achieving new breakthroughs in nutraceuticals innovation, Haleon’s chief of R&D told NutraIngredients-Asia...

Yeast-derived prebiotic could enhance gut motility and sleep quality – Asahi-funded study

31-Jan-2024 By Hui Ling Dang

Dietary supplementation of yeast mannan (YM) as a prebiotic could boost gut motility, improve constipation symptoms, and contribute to better sleep quality, say Japanese researchers.

The “biotics” round-up: Plans for postbiotics standards in China, calls to regulate probiotics in Hong Kong and more

26-Jan-2024 By Tingmin Koe

This round-up looks at the latest happenings in the booming “biotics” sectors spanning from pre-, pro-, and postbiotics across Asia-Pacific. The latest updates include China industry association’s plans for postbiotics quantification standards, Hong Kong...

Postbiotics quantification: China health foods association rallies firms to draft industry standards

24-Jan-2024 By Tingmin Koe

China Nutrition and Health Food Association (CNHFA) has decided to draft industry standards for quantifying postbiotics or inactivated cells and is rallying industry players and the public to take part in the drafting process.

Nurture to expand its Digestion + probiotic drink range as it set sights on South East Asia

23-Jan-2024 By Hazel Tang

Fonterra brand Nurture plans to expand its powdered probiotic drink range to target stress-relief and skin health this year.

Probiotic and eczema: GenieBiome launching synbiotics clinically tested on young kids to Singapore market

22-Jan-2024 By Tingmin Koe

Hong Kong Biotechnology firm GenieBiome has set sights on expanding its probiotics range in Singapore, including one that has been clinically studied to improve eczema in young children.

Regulatory review: South Korea's vitamin C rules, China's health foods filing, and Japan's GMP in the spotlight

19-Jan-2024 By Tingmin Koe

In our monthly nutra regulatory round-up, we look at the latest regulatory announcements regarding caution statements for vitamin C Health Functional Foods in South Korea, the addition of American ginseng, ginseng, and ganoderma into China's Health...

Probiotic regulation call: Hong Kong Consumer Council urges government to set up legislation to oversee category

17-Jan-2024 By Tingmin Koe

The Hong Kong Consumer Council is urging the government to set up legislation to regulate dietary supplements, including probiotics, the Council announced when releasing the findings of its review of 40 commercially available probiotics products.

FAQs resolved: Postbiotics need not consist of metabolites, ISAPP clarifies

16-Jan-2024 By Tingmin Koe

A common misunderstanding of postbiotics is that they are made up of metabolites, which the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) says is not necessarily the case.

Long-Covid / child vaccine benefits: Synbiotic formula offers hope of microbiome-targeted therapies – two studies

15-Jan-2024 By Hazel Tang

A synbiotic formula (SIM01) developed by Hong Kong firm GenieBiome in collaboration with the Chinese University of Hong Kong has been shown to alleviate multiple symptoms of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS), while also benefiting children after their...

Science shorts: Benefits of synbiotics, plant-based diets and kale for obesity, GDM, and constipation

05-Jan-2024 By Tingmin Koe

This round-up looks at the latest health and nutrition research, including the role of L-carnitine and synbiotic supplementation in improving lipid and glycaemic indices in obese women, how early-life exposure to the Great Chinese Famine is linked to...

L-carnitine and synbiotic co-supplementation could help combat obesity in women

04-Jan-2024 By Cheryl Marie Tay

Supplementation that combines L-carnitine and synbiotics could result in synergistic anti-obesity effects in women, according to researchers.

Kirin and Kao launch dual-function supplement for immune support and visceral fat reduction on the back of joint research

18-Dec-2023 By Hui Ling Dang

Kirin Holdings and Kao Corporation have collaborated to introduce a dual-function supplement targeting immunity and visceral fat, said to be two increasingly top-of-mind concerns faced by the Japanese population.

Probiotic supplementation could lower inflammatory markers and improve liver function in cirrhosis patients

18-Dec-2023 By Hazel Tang

Modulation of the gut microbiome via probiotics could enhance the clinical outcomes of cirrhosis patients by reducing inflammatory factors, according to a new meta-analysis.