FrieslandCampina Ingredients harnesses lactoferrin for immunity in latest Biotis launch

25 Jan 2021 --- FrieslandCampina Ingredients has added an immune support offering to its Biotis brand, which already has products addressing the brain and gut. Biotis Immune Health solutions’ suggested consumer applications feature lactoferrin in chewable gummies or in a powder drink format.

“The first ingredient we are launching under the Biotis Immune Health platform is Biotis Lactoferrin. Lactoferrin – a protein naturally present in cow’s and human milk – is known by consumers to aid the immune system and reduce vulnerability to disease and illness,” Miriam Peters, marketing manager at Biotis Immune Health, tells NutritionInsight.

Lactoferrin is also scientifically proven to help protect against viral and bacteriological infections and help reduce the risk of iron deficiency.

Peters anticipates that with the expansion currently in progress, FrieslandCampina Ingredients is set to be one of the world’s largest suppliers of this versatile ingredient by 2022.

“Global demand for lactoferrin almost doubled between 2014 and 2019, and this new facility will ensure that we can meet the growing demand for lactoferrin in both infant and adult nutrition,” she states.

Multiple delivery formats
Biotis Lactoferrin is available as a spray-dried powder ready for incorporation into multiple product formats, such as supplements, fortified beverages, sports nutrition and oral care.

FrieslandCampina Ingredients also helps customers to achieve novel product formats that offer innovation opportunities.

For example, chewable gummies are a potential area of application co-creation with Biotis Immune Health. Easy to chew, swallow and digest, a product like gummies mimics the way people eat food, supplying the body with nutrients in the most natural way.Immunity Up! chewable gummies and Immune-Plus powder drink are the company’s consumer application suggestions.

The science behind lactoferrin
Viruses that enter the body look for specific receptors on the surface of cells, so they can attach themselves and enter the cell, where they then replicate. When lactoferrin is present, it can help prevent the virus from finding the receptor it needs, either by “binding” the virus directly or by binding to the receptor the virus uses to gain access.

Peters notes that lactoferrin can also trigger an immune response directly. First, it binds to a specific receptor, which induces signaling that prepares the cell to act. Then, lactoferrin is transported to the cell nucleus. Here it acts directly on the DNA to initiate the production of cytokines inside the cell.

Released from the cell into the surrounding tissue, cytokines warn nearby cells to heighten their antiviral defenses and also activate immune cells, such as macrophages and natural killer cells.

“Therefore, lactoferrin can be of significant interest for consumers that are looking for ways to increase support of their immune health,” states Peters.

Biotis lactoferrin is formulated for consistent quality. This is achieved through FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ total control of each part of the lactoferrin supply chain, starting from the production of the raw milk and including the precise heat treatment process that preserves nativity and bioactivity.

Immunity demands at all-time high
The company highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated consumer interest in immunity, which is now at an all-time high. According to an Innova Market Insights survey, one in three consumers says that their concerns about immune health increased in 2020 over 2019. 

“With the growing consumer interest together with the impact of COVID-19, we expect the demand for immunity-supporting products to continue to accelerate,” says Peters. 

According to FrieslandCampina Ingredients, consumers are also more interested in, and are educating themselves about, ingredients that are scientifically proven to support immune health, including those derived from dairy.

“This will lead to significant new opportunities for growth, as our increasing understanding of the human immune system leads to new solutions with scientifically validated benefits. We see immune-targeted solutions playing an important role in consumers’ lives now and in the future,” says Peters.The launch comes as the company drastically increases its lactoferrin production. 

Joining a blooming portfolio
Biotis Immune Health is the third solution platform, joining Biotis Gut Health and Biotis Brain Health.

The brand also offers GOS, which increases bifidobacteria in the gut to support a good gut feeling. 

The company recently launched Biotis SleepWell, which is a natural, non-medicinal solution that targets sleep in a holistic way via the gut-brain axis. It combines Biotis GOS with protein-containing amino acids, such as tryptophan and cysteine, derived from milk protein, as well as complementary vitamins and minerals.

“Biotis represents a whole new era of ingredient science, so we are just getting started,” concludes Peters.

By Katherine Durrell