GanedenBC30 scores gut health claims in Australia and New Zealand

11 Aug 2020 --- Kerry’s branded probiotic strain GanedenBC30 has obtained three health claims, which allow Australian and New Zealand food manufacturers to claim that products developed with GanedenBC30 “aid,” “support” and “boost digestive health.” According to John Quilter, Vice President for GanedenBC30, this opens up opportunities for innovation in a range of food and beverage categories.

“Consumers are increasingly skeptical and rightly asking questions about the effectiveness of functional ingredients such as probiotics. The best way to respond is by clearly communicating benefits and the research supporting them. Scientific substantiation helps manufacturers and consumers alike understand the value of ingredients,” Quilter states.

Kerry’s Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 is a patented, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) probiotic ingredient found in more than 1,000 leading F&B products around the world, the company underscores. A recent example is Probiotic Single-Serve Packs of dried apricots and prunes pegged as a healthy on-the-go snack. In May, a Kerry report proposed fortifying takeout food with probiotics to help the foodservice sector address the rising consumer demand for functional ingredients.

The FSANZ regulators published the GanedenBC30 claims following a systematic review by Kerry.Educating the consumer
Quilter highlights that demand for probiotic products in Australia has “soared in recent years, as in the rest of the world.” A GanedenBC30 white paper from last November showed that 56 percent of Chinese consumers and 79 percent of US respondents understand the role of probiotics in digestive health.

However, much of this information comes from unchecked sources on the internet, meaning consumers are vulnerable to “fake news” and other malicious content. In June, the nutrition industry fought back against allegations that probiotics sport insufficient scientific consensus over their health benefits. 

Meanwhile, in response to a “60 Minutes” television segment on probiotics titled “Do Probiotics Actually Do Anything?” the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) asserted that the reporting “pitted one scientist’s view against another’s and left viewers confused about the category.”

In this space, health claims published by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Food Standards Code can help specify the health functions of ingredients to consumers. Providing evidence of a causal food-health relationship was possible for GanedenBC30, given it is supported by “a wealth of scientific evidence,” the company states. 

“Over 25 published papers support the efficacy of its benefits for digestive health. This allowed Kerry to conduct a comprehensive review in line with the FSANZ Food Standards Code,” the GanedenBC30 manufacturer concludes.

By Anni Schleicher