Kellogg’s debuts gut-boosting cereal with prebiotics, probiotics and fiber

15 Nov 2018 --- Kellogg’s has launched a “3-in-1” cereal aimed at making digestive wellness support easily accessible in food. The new wellness brand HI! Happy Inside delivers prebiotics, probiotics and fiber in an all-in-one cereal. The launch comes at a time when interest in digestive health seems to only continue to grow.

According to a recent survey commissioned by Kellogg and conducted online by The Harris Poll among over 2,000 US adults, while 29 percent of Americans say they know about probiotics, prebiotics are a mystery for the average American. Only 15 percent of respondents shared that they know about prebiotics. According to Kellog’s, when prebiotics are paired with probiotics and fiber, a real food like HI! Happy Inside provides ingredients to support digestive wellness.

“HI! Happy Inside is a delicious cereal with three powerful ingredients to support digestive wellness,” says Aleta Chase, Marketing Director for HI! Happy Inside. “This new cereal provides a proactive real food solution to people who want to incorporate more prebiotics and probiotics into their diet.”

The company says the combination of prebiotics, probiotics and fiber seeks to support digestive wellness in the following ways:

Probiotics are complimentary, live bacteria. HI! Happy Inside delivers 1 billion CFU live probiotics from active strains.

Prebiotics help feed probiotics which are “good bacteria” for the gut. Specifically, prebiotics are soluble, fermented fiber. HI! Happy Inside has 2.5 grams of prebiotics.

Digestive-related conditions affect more than 70 million people in the US (US Department of Health and Human Services National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 2010). As a result, gut health is a top concern for many people.

Innova Market Insights data shows that the digestive health market is undergoing an NPD boom with innovation happening in a diverse range of categories. This expansion is illustrated when we look at the diverse areas where growth in new product development is taking place. While dairy is still by far the largest category for digestive health claims, growth is very modest globally, with just 0.3 percent growth reported in terms of CAGR from 2012 to 2017.

The fastest growing area is baby & toddlers nutrition at +19 percent, while soft drinks have been heavily driven by the rise of products such as kombucha. Sports nutrition is also on the rise as the benefits of probiotics and performance begin to trend and more scientific support emerges behind their role in boosting performance. There is growth in both of the key digestive health pillars. Fibers and prebiotics have enjoyed CAGR of +14 percent from 2012-2017, while probiotics are also strongly trending with a growth of 20 percent over this period.

Fiber is an essential nutrient that our bodies need to help function. Unlike others, it's not digested but acts as an agent to help contribute to digestive wellness and overall health. HI! Happy Inside contains 8-9g of fiber pending variety. One serving of the Coconut Crunch flavored version contains 33 percent of the daily recommended intake of dietary fiber, for example.

Innova Market Insights has listed A Fresh Look at Fiber among its Top Ten Trends for 2019. Fiber holds increasing potential for manufacturers as an ingredient that can be added to products to throw in an extra dash of health and satiety. Due to its strong prebiotic value, consumers are increasingly recognizing the health benefits that a fibrous diet can bring – beyond keeping you regular.

Further bringing fiber into the spotlight, eight specific fibers were greenlighted by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a regulatory announcement earlier this year, meaning that the promoted fibers can be classified as “dietary fibers” on the upcoming Nutrition Facts Label.

The high consumer demand for fiber is already leading to a strong industry response. This is illustrated by new product activity. Consumer research that we undertook in 2017 found that 1 in 5 US consumers are placing a high importance on fiber. This market demand is spawning opportunity with a more than doubling in launches reported when we take 2013 as a base of 100.

“Maintaining a healthy digestive system is essential to overall well-being and everyday life,” says Regan Jones, RD. “Many registered dietitians know that probiotics alone aren't enough and the 3-in-1 combination of prebiotics, probiotics and fiber through real foods such as HI! Happy Inside is one thing you can do daily to help support your overall health.”

The new cereal comes in three flavors: Simply Strawberry, Bold Blueberry, and Coconut Crunch.