Regional specifics drive combined growth
Asia Pacific has not only seen the strongest growth with regards to the probiotics market, but their considerable production and consumption of probiotics is followed by strong innovation in probiotics, most notably in China, India and Japan—where a variety of probiotic-containing products are available in supermarkets, ranging from fortified drinks to candies containing probiotic strains.
Experts project that liquid probiotics will dominate the global market as the demand increases in comparison to dry probiotics, due to its application in yogurt, which is the most popular food source. Other products that use liquid probiotics include kefir water, probiotic juices, and yogurt-based drinks, which are healthy options for daily supplementation.”
In terms of ingredients, we can expect to see the bacteria segment dominate the market as it is driven by an increasing interest of consumers in urogenital and vaginal health, where we are starting to see growing amounts of product innovation. However, yeast is also projected to see rapid growth in the segment of probiotics.
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Whether for supplements or functional foods, the use of multiple strains of bacteria in a single product has become prevalent. So, too, has an emphasis on the survivability and the viable count of those specific strains—an issue that has been given greater prominence by the IPA.
CityDietitians has seen evidence of consumers catching up with these concerns. “Many are becoming savvier to differences between the probiotics count on the day they were produced and the number of living bacteria reaching the gut,” says Medlin. “Manufacturers are starting to realise they need to take this into account.”
New UK-based supplements brand Kinerva, which has a dual coating applied to its live bacteria, points out that product labelling can be misleading. “It may only provide a cumulative count, and not the colony-forming units of each individual strain,” says CEO Adnan Wahid. He adds: “Some products use specific strains which are scientifically proven to reach the gut alive, and may simply be chosen for their survival rate, and not for their health benefit.”
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When it comes to prebiotics, strong ‘natural’ credentials can help in supplements as well as functional food markets. As Australian company Marinova reports, the EU assessed its Maritech fucoidan extracts as being substantially equivalent to the parental seaweeds from which they were extracted. These long-chain polysaccharides have also been given EU Novel Foods approval.
