HNC and Hi & Fi Asia-China live: ADM showcases spore-forming probiotic DE111, now approved in China

21 Jun 2024 --- Live on the showroom floor of the ongoing Healthplex & Nutraceutical China (HNC) trade show, co-located with Hi & Fi Asia-China (June 19–21, 2024) in Shanghai, we meet up with ADM to discuss the company’s spore-forming probiotic DE111, which was recently approved in China and Australia. 

Nutrition Insight sits down with Helen Hu, president of Health & Wellness APAC at ADM, who gives us insights into the growing Chinese market and the company’s future ambitions in the region at booth number 3F10 at HNC.

“It’s really a milestone for ADM to be launching this product in China. This product is already well known and used in the US and Europe. DE111 (Bacillus subtilis) is a very good strain in probiotics — it is spore-forming and can be put to good use in the F&B industry,” says Hu. 

“Because it is spore-forming, the probiotic is not that sensitive to temperature and pH, which is good for shelf life. We have nine different, very strong clinical studies looking at immune, digestive and even children’s health and there is very good evidence to prove the strain is a very good probiotic.”

ADM’s DE111 probiotic officially entered the Chinese market this year following approval of the National Health Commission. 

“We spent quite a lot of time preparing all the documents for the approval process in China. After a lot of work, we finally got the approval. We can finally launch it in China and bring this very good product to the Chinese market,” asserts Hu. 

Regulations in China 
Hu further shares her first-hand insights into the current regulatory conditions in China and how these might affect the ease of doing business in the country. 

Helen Hu, president of Health & Wellness APAC at ADM“There are a lot of new regulations launched and the way to prepare and to be in line with them is to try to better understand what preparations are needed,” she states. 

“As a supplier ingredient company, we need to do our homework, to do better research and preparation on safety, clinical studies and the scientific certificates that support the product and show the consumer and the experts our benefit, so they can understand, evaluate and approve. Food safety is important in China, as is the case everywhere.”

Consumer needs
Hu further explains that consumer needs, including those of Chinese consumers, are driving the company’s product development. She details the characteristics of the contemporary health-conscious Chinese consumer.

“The consumer in China is getting younger and these younger people have channels to learn more. They are making a lot of new trends happen in China and there are a lot of very creative applications,” says Hu. 

“China has a long history of food culture. There are a lot of new products launched from different kinds of cuisine and different kinds of food from plants to be tapped into. Health is also very important for the young generation, as well as for the aging generation. So all of this actually gave us an opportunity to bring some new things into China.”

Hu adds that ADM offers a number of pro- and postbiotics and fibers that can benefit children’s health, with studies that are already published, in progress or expected to kick off soon.

“You can see the geography of China is similar to that of the whole of the European market and China is also quite different region by region and province by province. There are big, long distances and the trends, culture and habits are very different.”

The Chinese market
Hu underscores that the Chinese market is “huge,” “very attractive” and has “a lot of new commerce” still emerging and arriving. 

“That really gave us a challenge — we need to be even better and to provide better solutions to the Chinese customers in order to survive in this market. So we need to offer better taste and flavor and offer better health benefits,” she expands.

Hu states that the ADM’s DE111 probiotic is well-suited to F&B product applications of the Chinese market.“For this reason we have also developed some products in order to fit the local Chinese culture. ADM is really able to compete and be outstanding in this market. ADM is a global company, we have a lot of bases in Europe, in the Americas and in Southeast Asia. We can also bring great products and success stories from other countries to launch in China. All of that actually gave ADM the opportunity to give the consumer in China more choice.”

Another aspect of ADM’s business in China extends into botanical ingredients, which are sought after by Chinese consumers for their health benefits.

“We have lots of botanical products extracted from different fruits and herbs that are brought to China for use in F&B and supplement products to bring more flavor, taste and health benefits. We have case studies on botanicals that show their health benefits,” Hu tells us.

“We do have some products, for example, our passion fruit and green tea extracts, which have a high concentration of vitamin content and where the ingredients are still maintained in the gradient, which brings not only a health benefit but also flavor and color to the product.” 

Hu explains that some ADM products have been adapted to the local consumers’ tastes, stating that the flavors of some products sold in the US are too sweet for Chinese consumers. 

“So if you want to really develop and be successful in China, you really need to understand the Chinese population,” she concludes. “There are a lot of opportunities for foreign companies.”

By Milana Nikolova with additional reporting by Missy Green, live from HNC and Hi & Fi Asia-China in Shanghai