FrieslandCampina unveils “highest purity” prebiotic galacto-oligosaccharides for gut and brain health

08 Jun 2022 --- Functional ingredients innovator FrieslandCampina Ingredients has introduced the “highest purity” prebiotic Biotis GOS-OP High Purity within its Biotis portfolio for adult gut and brain health, in addition to the company’s infant nutrition solutions.

“Biotis GOS-OP High Purity has the highest concentration of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) compared to other ingredients in our Biotis range. Biotis GOS-OP High Purity has a typical GOS content of 94%, which was made possible due to our patent-pending process,” Sophie Zillinger Molenaar, global marketing lead for Biotis at FrieslandCampina Ingredients, tells NutritionInsight.

The company adds that its high-quality prebiotic was explicitly created to drive innovation in the increasing gut health supplement sector.

“We developed Biotis GOS-OP High Purity specifically for supplement brand owners – it is easy to formulate in most trending and popular supplement formats, including gummies and tablets. Also, it is easy to combine with other ingredients such as vitamins, minerals and probiotics,” says Molenaar.

“Biotis GOS-OP High Purity aims to help manufacturers create gut health supplements that consumers enjoy taking. We anticipate that this latest innovation will be particularly welcome in the nutraceutical gummies market, one of the fastest-growing nutraceutical segments globally with a projected CAGR of 10.2% to 2027.”

Expanding prebiotic potential
Prebiotics are a type of dietary fiber that feeds healthy bacteria in the gut and has been demonstrated in studies to affect the gut microbiota’s balance, resulting in improved gut health and mental well-being.

Due to the volume of an active ingredient required, efforts to formulate prebiotics into formats such as gummies, tablets and capsules have typically been hindered by technical limits, making smaller yet beneficial formulations a challenge.

“Providing innovative supplement formats – such as gummies – are one-way for brands to respond to this demand and give consumers access to efficient and more personalized nutritional solutions,” says Molenaar.

Biotis GOS-OP contains over 90% pure GOS, making it the “purest” prebiotic offered by the company.“Supplements can easily fit into consumers’ busy lifestyles, making them an efficient and effective way of supporting gut health.”

Biotis GOS-OP High Purity’s high concentration of GOS has two benefits, Molenaar highlights.

“Firstly, it can be formulated into smaller formats – making it ideal for the supplements market. Secondly, research has shown that high purity GOS can be effective at much lower doses – as little as 2 g.”

“This means less product is needed to deliver the health benefits important to consumers, unlocking new opportunities for product innovation,” she concludes.

Glory to your gut
The demand for gut-supporting supplements is steadily rising, as two in three consumers recognize that good gut health is critical to overall well-being, according to Innova Insight’s number six 2022 trend among nutritional food and beverage launches, “Gut Glory.”

The company details that GOS has been demonstrated to be more bifidogenic than other prebiotics currently used in supplement formulations.

Slashing lactose and offering gastro-intestinal support
The company details that GOS has been demonstrated to be more bifidogenic than other prebiotics currently used in supplement formulations.

Additionally, Biotis GOS-OP High Purity also has a long shelf life, is highly heat and acid-stable and has a good bulk density and particle size. This makes it suitable for supplement formulation in various appealing and compact supplement formats.

The patent process used to create Biotis GOS-OP High Purity also yields a lower lactose content (less than 5%), allowing for lower lactose formulations, which are becoming increasingly popular among health-conscious customers.

FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ Biotis GOS-OP High Purity supports brain health.“Our Biotis GOS are the most researched GOS globally and have been shown to provide several health benefits relating to gastro-intestinal support, muscle function and mental health,” adds Molenaar.

“Both our Biotis GOS and Biotis GOS-OP High Purity products have desirable properties that make them easy to formulate, such as clean sensory profiles and heat stability. What differentiates Biotis GOS-OP High Purity is its higher GOS content.”

Prebiotics, probiotics or both?
Emerging insights into the benefits and effectiveness of prebiotics and probiotics have surfaced, with a Health-Ade exec previously telling NutritionInsight that prebiotics are “more beneficial” for the gut microbiome than probiotics.

Probiotics are an established gut health ingredient with benefits widely understood and accepted by consumers, Molenaar explains.

“While prebiotics are an emerging ingredient, they are quickly gaining popularity, especially as we see more clinical studies add to the substantial body of research that proves prebiotic ingestion supports a whole host of health benefits,” she adds. “Instead of choosing one or the other, combined solutions – known as synbiotics – are gaining traction.”

“We partnered with Lallemand to launch two synbiotic concepts. The PRO-Digest Health shot combines Biotis GOS and B. lactis LAFTI B94 while the PRO-Digest Bowel Support combines Biotis GOS and L. paracasei HA-196.”

Also highlighting the benefits of prebiotics, PharmaLinea entered the burgeoning gut health market with the launch of its >Your Prebiotiq brand, which focuses on quality prebiotics rather than probiotics.

In other developments within this ingredient segment, NutritionInsight previously interviewed a roundtable of prebiotic experts who gave insight into how the space is experiencing new delivery formats such as prebiotic blends and “snackification.” They added that 2022 will see the sector moving beyond gut health and emerging into the skin, mood and sleep areas.

By Nicole Kerr