Kefir gets convenient: Biotiful creates gut-healthy prebiotic meal booster

08 Jan 2024 --- UK kefir brand Biotiful Gut Health has launched meal boosters in the “ambient” category featuring billions of live cultures, prebiotic fiber, oats, fruits, seeds and spices, which can be sprinkled on breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks or smoothies. Ambient food can safely be stored at room temperature.

“We created the meal boosters as an easy and delicious way of supporting gut health daily. The fact that they are a store cupboard product means they can be stored easily and added to a variety of meals and snacks, whether sprinkled over granola and yogurt or added into smoothies,” a Biotiful spokesperson tells Nutrition Insight.

The 210 g booster servings come in three distinct flavors that have their own nutritional profile. The Berry Blend “Immunity” is a mix of oats, flaxseeds, goji berries and strawberries containing vitamins B12 and D3.

Included in the foundation oat and flaxseed mix, the Cacao Blend “Focus” comprises cacao nibs and dried cherries, vitamin B12 and vitamin B5 to reduce tiredness and fatigue. The Coconut Blend “Focus” features coconut, turmeric and vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) to support cognitive function.

Kefir consumption reaches new heights
Biotiful’s meal boosters are high in fiber with added B5, B12 and D3 vitamins and have no added sugar. According to the company, consumers are increasingly aware of the pivotal role of gut health as the foundation of good physical and mental well-being, evidenced by the significant rise in the product’s sales — approximately 200% in the last three years.   

“We’re on a mission to make gut health accessible to all, and that means making our probiotic cultures available in a range of different formats — from drinks to yogurts — from bottles to pots. Expanding into ‘ambient’ means that more consumers than ever before can improve their gut health,” the spokesperson explains. 

“The biggest R&D challenge was ensuring the longevity and efficacy of the 34 billion live cultures in an ambient product. This was achieved through lots of product trials and analytical testing.” 

Biotiful differentiates itself from its competitors with subtle flavor profiles, which improves the prebiotics’ versatility. “Other competitors’ products have quite an overpowering taste, which restricts their usage. Also, our products are less expensive on a cost-per-serving basis,” the spokesperson says.

Fiber powerBiotiful’s three meal boosters support improved focus, energy and immunity. 
The meal boosters were created to combine nutrition, flavor and convenience, which consumers are currently after. Biotiful Gut Health pioneered the consumption of kefir in the UK and now holds more than 70% UK market share in kefir drinks, the company claims. 

“The real power of this product is in the combination of fiber, which improves the overall digestive process, and the live cultures, which improve the gut microbiome, plus added vitamins and minerals,” the spokesperson explains.  

In 2023, Biotiful Gut Health launched its range of kefir for children with reduced sugar to take steps to provide healthy snack options for UK children in danger of the effects of ultra-processed foods, such as obesity. 

In addition, M&S Food has launched its new M&S Food x Zoe Gut Shot — a milk kefir with berries with over five billion live cultures from 14 different strains, developed with the US nutrition science company Zoe. 

By Inga de Jong