Frutarom Finding Success with Oral Probiotics

BLIS K12, which maker Frutarom USA (North Bergen, NJ) calls the world’s first probiotic for oral health, is seeing success in a range of retail channels, the company reports.

Frutarom says that growing innovation in the oral-health and immune-health categories has paved the road for BLIS K12’s success. “After a successful launch just two years ago, BLIS K12 is already available through most retail channels, including mass market, health retail, online, and via healthcare professionals,” says Laurent Leduc, vice president of health for Frutarom Americas.

According to Innova Market Insights, 691 products launched globally between September 2009 and August 2010 were positioned as oral-health products-a notable increase compared to 483 similar products launched in the previous 12 months. Launches have predominantly been in the chewing gum category.

One recent launch containing BLIS K12 is BioGuard, from San Diego-based Imagenetix, which is available at mass-market retailers such as Costco and Rite Aid. The product is a chewable tablet designed to dissolve easily in the mouth and provide probiotic protection for the ears, nose, and throat.

Frutarom says that while many probiotic ingredients focus on digestive health, BLIS K12 “protects the body’s immune system by providing an innovative natural defense against bacterial imbalance in the mouth and fighting the bacteria that cause sore throats, ear infections, colds, and bad breath.”