What’s the Whole Deal with Good Bacteria?

What’s the Whole Deal with Good Bacteria?

While business have started recuperating from the adverse impact of COVID-19, the pandemic has accelerated the growth of consumer goods that offer better immune system support. There has been significant growth in natural and organic solutions, with consumers increasingly trying to avoid medical intervention.

The benefits of “good bacteria” are impacting the market for Microbiome-supporting ingredients such as prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics.

Booming ProBiotics and PostBiotics

Industry Probiotics have proven to have desirable effects like improved gut health and reduced intestinal inflammation. Postbiotics, when incorporated into foods, beverages, have been clinically shown to provide health benefits

Public awareness and acceptance of probiotics and prebiotics continues to expand with probiotic industry growth estimated at 7% annually, and prebiotics growth forecast at 12.7% over the next 8 years. Interest continues to grow into new applications of probiotics and prebiotics across health conditions, body sites, population subgroups, and delivery formats. Additionally, evolution in regulatory frameworks, clinical guidelines and industry trends is prompting the implementation of probiotics and prebiotics in nutrition and healthcare.

Growing Demand and Investments

Companies like Cargill, General Mill and others are increasing their investments in biotics R&D (probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics) and microbiome space. In 2019, DuPont launched a new probiotics fermentation unit as part of an overall $100M investment. Recently, Archer Daniels Midland Co (ADM)unveiled plans to build a new probiotic production plant in Valencia, Spain.

Demand for probiotics and prebiotics is driving innovation in quality assurance techniques to measure dose, viability, and structural and functional integrity. Additionally, companies that are well established in other markets are foraying into the probiotic market in order to compete for the growing demand.

ProBiotics and PostBiotics: The Future

Though Postbiotics are still in an early stage of food and beverage landscape, it will continue gaining traction due to their science-backed benefits. As this awareness continues to expand in consumer goods sector, an integrated review of trends shaping the future of probiotics and prebiotics is judicious.