“Lifelong well-being”: Experts spotlight innovative infant probiotics for better outcomes

29 Aug 2024 --- Consumer demand for innovative infant probiotics that provide science-backed health benefits is increasing. At the same time, customers and consumers alike are looking for safety-insured ingredients that can address multiple nutrition needs. 

Innova Market Insights data suggests that from July 2023 to June 2024, 79% of global infant nutrition launches, particularly baby formula and milk, featured probiotic ingredients. Digestive and gut health claims were this sector’s leading focus for new product development.

Nutrition Insight explores the ever-expanding infant probiotics space with experts from AB-Biotics, Floré and Lallemand Health Solutions.

“A healthy gut in infancy sets the stage for lifelong well-being,” says Barasse Valentine, product manager at Lallemand Health Solutions. “Probiotics can promote healthy gut functions, immune maturation, cognitive development and optimal growth.”

“Lallemand Health Solutions continues to innovate and provide evidence-based probiotic solutions for mothers and babies and remains committed to advancing probiotic research and science, ensuring that every baby receives the best start possible.”

Miquel Bonachera, the co-founder of AB-Biotics, agrees and states that the company’s offerings look to address specific nutritional and health needs.

“Our advanced portfolio of probiotic strains targets a range of therapeutic areas in infants, from immunity to functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), supporting the balancing of the gut microbiota from the newborn stage onwards,” he highlights. “With the first 1,000 days after birth being a critical window for the development of the gut microbiome in babies, disruptions to this can cause complications later down the line.”

Craig Rouskey, Floré’s new CEO, also underscores the importance of probiotics for early life nutrition.

“Infant nutrition roots life in wellness,” he says. “It changes outcomes for children and their parents and if we can play a small part in improving health outcomes for people — at every stage of life — we are successful.”

Proven probiotics

Rouskey reveals that even though Floré has many infant probiotic formulations in its portfolio, the company has seen the most reliable benefits with Bifidobacterium infantis, Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis and Limosilactobacillus reuteri.

Innova Market Insights data suggests a majority of product launches, particularly baby formula and milk, featured probiotic ingredients.“These strains are leveraged to prevent pathogenic bacterial growth, prevent colic, improve regularity, maximize nutrient absorption in preterm infants and support healthy immune responses,” he explains. “Supplementing these strains is a necessary intervention when they are not found in infants.”

“We aggregate peer-reviewed, primary literature and conduct studies in collaboration with partners across the wellness spectrum. We recently published a paper on neurodiversity in conjunction with Arizona State University, US, and are seeking to broaden our offerings to address a host of health and wellness areas.”

Bonachera at AB-Biotics emphasizes how AB-Kolicare, which contains Bifidobacterium longum KABP 042 and Pediococcus pentosaceus KABP 041, has been proven to promote healthy infant microbiota development by specifically targeting and alleviating symptoms of FGIDs, like colic and constipation. 

These can lead to considerable discomfort for both infants and parents.

“In infants, the microbiome is dominated by Bifidobacterium strains, which are essential for healthy development in early life,” he explains. “Bifidobacterium longum KABP 042, a strain isolated from the gut of healthy babies, presents a specific enzyme that digests Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs), supporting healthy gut colonization.”

“Alongside this, the strain Pediococcus pentosaceus KABP 041 stimulates the production of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and reduces the levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6), reducing intestinal inflammation.”

Fighting FGIDs

According to Bonachera, all of AB-Biotics’ probiotics are developed and researched for specific health indications. In the case of infant health, AB-Kolicare was specifically created for colicky infants and those with FGIDs, which are characterized as chronic conditions with no identifiable cause.

“The strains used in AB-Kolicare have a well-studied and unique mechanism of action,” he illustrates. “Studies have found that the probiotic formula inhibits the growth of several Enterobacteria that are found excessively in the gut of colicky babies, such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium.” 

“Other benefits, such as the efficient digestion of HMOs, anti-inflammatory activity and anti-bloating have also been studied, which ultimately resulted in a reduction in daily crying time and episodes after just one week, and a reduction of FGIDs severity. Parental anxiety after fourteen days of treatment also saw a decrease, increasing the quality of life of both infants and parents.”Barasse Valentine, product manager at Lallemand Health Solutions.

“Importantly, efficacy was also observed in both formula-fed and breastfed babies,” he adds.

Multifunctional microbiome solutions

Barasse Valentine at Lallemand Health Solutions says the company is focused on creating, producing and marketing bacteria- and yeast-based supplements for human health and spotlights that the company’s evidence-based probiotic solutions for infants aim to maintain a balanced gut microbiome that is rich in beneficial Bifidobacteria, support gut development and enhance overall well-being.

She underscores that Probiokid, a top-selling pediatric synbiotic formulation that includes L. helveticus Rosell-52, B. infantis Rosell-33, B. bifidum Rosell-71 and Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) is backed by 23 clinical studies involving infants and children under three and has demonstrated benefits for gut health and natural defenses.

“B. lactis Lafti B94 is another well-documented strain for gut health and beyond,” says Valentine. “This probiotic strain was selected from among 40 Bifidobacteria strains due to its good synergy with prebiotics, such as FOS and inulin. It is a safe and effective ingredient that can be used in dietary and food supplements and in powdered milk-based infant formula.”

“Lallemand Health Solutions’ Lacidofil probiotic formula is known to contribute to a robust and resilient gut ecosystem. Supported by 29 clinical studies, including four specifically in infants and toddlers, Lacidofil (L. rhamnosus Rosell-11 and L. helveticus Rosell-52), shows several applications, from promoting gut comfort to supporting natural defenses (immune marker levels) and beyond.”

Targeted health benefits

Valentine also notes that Lallemand Health Solutions’ infant probiotic solutions offer a plethora of health benefits outside of gastrointestinal health, where she says its offerings aid in developing a strong infant microbiome and supports gut maturation and digestion.Craig Rouskey, CEO at Floré.

Lallemand Health Solutions’ infant probiotic products also offer proven benefits for immunity, metabolic health and mental health. Valentine states that its probiotics can promote immune system development by supporting a healthy gut, which is essential for training the immune system and fostering a balanced microbiome and encourages healthy growth and metabolic maturation, which impacts long-term health and reduces risks.

She adds that the company’s probiotic strains can also support cognition via the gut-brain axis — enhancing early neurodevelopment by influencing neurotransmitter and hormone production in the gut.

“Probiokid offers several benefits, as reviewed in Tremblay, et al. 2021 publication,” Valentine reveals. “Probiokid safely nurtures an infant-specific gut microbiota and supports gastrointestinal functions in infants during neonatal care and occasional diarrhea or constipation episodes.” 

“Probiokid also promotes timely immune maturation by maintaining appropriate secretory immunoglobulin A levels. Beyond gut and immune support, Probiokid contributes to a healthy metabolism in newborns and supports oral health and infants’ skin health. In short, Probiokid is a multistrain synbiotic blend that contributes to a balanced gut microbiota and beyond, hence promoting optimal health.”

Valentine adds that Prenatis, Lallemand Health Solutions’ newest probiotic formulation, combines the probiotic strains L. rhamnosus Rosell-11 and B. bifidum HA-132. A comprehensive clinical trial involving 180 healthy pregnant women during their third trimester showed positive effects on maintaining a healthy pregnancy and supporting the establishment of a healthy infant microbiome in follow-up assessments.

“Prenatis can be combined with other probiotic strains and enriched with valuable ingredients,” she reveals. “This probiotic formula is available in multiple convenient formats, including powder in sachets or sticks, orodispersible powder and capsules in blisters or bottles.”

“This flexibility ensures ease of use for expectant mothers. Prenatis represents a significant leap in perinatal health, supporting both maternal well-being and the foundation of a healthy infant microbiome during the first months of life.”

Spotlight on safety

Rouskey at Floré says that all of the company’s probiotics and ingredients undergo microbiological contamination and heavy metal testing and adhere to strict specifications before raw materials can be released for use. 

Additionally, he emphasizes that Floré’s facility is regularly inspected and audited to ensure compliance with legal requirements and to maintain UL certification — an independent third party certification, which means the products meet local and federal environmental and safety regulations.

Miquel Bonachera, the co-founder of AB-Biotics, says safety is a key feature when selecting infant probiotic products.“Much of our quality assurance process revolves around what is called ‘viable cell count,’” Rouskey highlights. “This ensures that our probiotics maintain their efficacy. We begin with probiotics that are manufactured for human consumption and are coated to ensure successful delivery to the gut. We store all our probiotics in temperature-controlled facilities until they are pilled, packaged and shipped.”

“Once a customer receives their formula, we ask them to store it in their refrigerator to maximize long-term stability and viability. Our strains are stable for 30 days at room temperature, and refrigeration extends the viability time beyond those 30 days.”

Bonachera agrees, stating that safety is crucial in consumer markets, especially for infant health. Therefore, he says that AB-Biotics maintains strict compliance with EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) and US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulations.

“Our robust in vitro testing is conducted under simulated gastric and intestine conditions, plus our probiotic formulas for infants are isolated from the gut microbiota of healthy babies and breastmilk, which ensures they are naturally adapted to survive infant’s gut conditions.”

At the same time, Valentine at Lallemand Health Solutions points out of the many key factors that must be considered when selecting a probiotic supplement for babies, safety is one of the most crucial. 

“First, probiotics should have been clinically studied in this population, with proven positive safety and efficacy outcomes. Then the product should explicitly be labeled as safe for infants and young children. Additionally, probiotics should be formulated with high-quality ingredients, and not contain unnecessary fillers or additives.”

“Lastly, it is important that the finished product is a suitable galenic format, such as ready-to-use powder or probiotic drops, to meet the unique needs of babies,” Valentine concludes. “Probiotics are a great overall choice for supporting babies and infants’ health.”

By William Bradford Nichols