Digestive Health

Leading probiotic companies have expressed enthusiasm for “Microwarriors: The Power of Probiotics,” a new documentary about the history and science of probiotics.

FenuLife may be a safe alternative to pharmaceutical acid-reflux and heartburn medications.

A new fiber-containing dextrin from Roquette has withstood tolerance testing in a recent study on digestive health measures.

Editor’s Note: On December 2, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA; Parma, Italy) held a meeting in Amsterdam with the intention of clarifying its process of reviewing Article 13 and Article 14 health claims, specifically those concerning gut and immune health. The probiotics community was well represented at the meeting, which was led by members of EFSA’s Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies (NDA) panel. Below are reflections from the meeting from representatives of probiotics specialist Danisco A/S (Denmark).

Research and Markets, an international market research group, has made available its newest in-depth analysis of the U.S. digestive health ingredients market.

GoodBelly, the brand of organic probiotic fruit drinks, has welcomed Alan Murray as CEO.

ProTarget, a patented enteric capsule-coating technology from Bifodan A/S (Hundested, Denmark), has received Frost & Sullivan’s 2010 Global Probiotics Technology Differentiation Award.

NP Nutra (Rancho Dominguez, CA) has introduced PapayaFlow, a product offering the healthful nutrients of papaya such as lycopene, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, and B vitamins.

Scientists in the digestive- and immune-health sector have initiated a new petition, protesting what they say is an “illogical” process of approving health claims in the European Union.

The 2011 grants will be awarded for research on probiotics and gastrointestinal microbiota.

Probiotic industry specialists are hoping that the FTC’s recent dispute with Dannon (White Plains, NY) over probiotic label claims will not devalue the sound science that exists within the field of probiotic science.

Harvard researchers think placebo effect may be strongest with full disclosure.

Deerland Enzymes (Kennesaw, GA) is partnering with Thione International (Atlanta) to develop product applications combining Thione’s antioxidants technology with Deerland’s enzyme blends.

The FTC announced yesterday that it has entered into a consent agreement with Dannon in which the brand will drop what the FTC says are deceptive advertising claims for its probiotic Activia yogurt and DanActive dairy drink.

But to what end?

The U.S. digestive-health category is currently valued at $265.9 million and will grow to $495.3 million by 2015-a 13.2% growth, predicts a new MarketsandMarkets report.

Colloïdes Naturels International has launched a new, highly purified and clarified version of its Fibregum ingredient.

What could possibly make chocolate milk taste better? Try digestive and immune health benefits.

The newest finished products on the market.

    There’s more than one way of getting fiber into a bar. Below are a few fiber suppliers and their nutrition bar fiber lines.   Grain Processing Corp. (Muscatine, IA)

Probiotic specialist Ganeden Biotech (Mayfield Heights, OH) has entered into a new partnership with cereal and granola manufacturer Organic Milling (San Dimas, CA) to market probiotic yogurt puffs with Ganeden BC30.

Considering that enzymes catalyze virtually every biological process in the human body, it can be a serious problem if a person’s enzyme balance is out of whack.

Addressing the growing demand for functional yogurts, Chr. Hansen (Milwaukee) has announced two new ranges of probiotic cultures, YoFlex and Nu-Trish, which aim to deliver ideal texture in low-fat drinking yogurts.

Danone (Paris), Probi (Lund, Sweden), and Skånemejerier (Malmö, Sweden) have signed a major deal to expand the market for probiotic fruit drinks in Europe.

Lynside Pro GI+ is a Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast designed to target intestinal discomfort such as that caused by Irritable Bowl Syndrome (IBS).

For the latest on what the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA; Parma, Italy) thinks about gut heath and immune function claims, check out the agency’s new draft guidance, introduced today.

For the latest on what the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA; Parma, Italy) thinks about gut heath and immune function claims, check out the agency’s new draft guidance, introduced today.

Lesaffre Human Care (Milwaukee) has launched Lynside Pro GI+, a yeast-derived probiotic for intestinal discomfort.

Ganeden Biotech Inc. (Cleveland) has announced a new partnership with Agostoni Chocolate (Lecco, Italy) to market the probiotic GanedenBC30 in chocolate bars. Under the Chocolate Plus Private Label, Agostoni...s Italian dark chocolate'”available at 70% cocoa content or 60% for a softer flavor'”now comes enriched with Ganeden...s patented strain of Bacillus coagulans, intended to deliver helpful bacteria to the digestive system.

Probiotics could be an emerging player in the weight-management market, according to market researcher Euromonitor International. While probiotics are still very fixated on digestive and immune health, new research is exploring the effects of probiotics on weight. 'As the evidence that obesity may have a microbial component continues to mount, the potential for probiotics as a key functional ingredient in weight management-positioned food and beverage products may emerge to be substantial,' says Ewa Hudson, head of Euromonitor...s health and wellness research.