Probiotic breakthrough: Lallemand unveils exclusive organic yeast strain

12 Jan 2023 --- To celebrate the 100th anniversary of discovering the probiotic strain, Lallemand Health Solutions has launched an organic version of Saccharomyces boulardii, which is exclusive to the company.

“Sixty-three percent of consumers declare it is important for food and drink products to be 100% natural. Such a claim on a product is associated with benefits ‘better for me’ and ‘healthy,’” Romane Maillet, a probiotic yeast specialist and product manager for the gut health portfolio at Lallemand Health Solutions, tells NutritionInsight.

“With that in mind, the organic S. boulardii from Lallemand ticks the boxes to please an impressive part of the market.”

Organic yeast

S. boulardii promotes organic agriculture and safeguards biodiversity. 

According to the company, yeast is a plant fungus that grows from organic agricultural nutrients, so it is the only probiotic that can be organically certified. Organic S. boulardii has an advantage over probiotic bacteria because it promotes organic agriculture and safeguards biodiversity. 

“Unlike bacteria, yeast is a plant fungus belonging to the vegetal reign and growing from organic agricultural nutrients, so it is the only probiotic-certified organic. This gives organic S. boulardii a competitive edge when compared to probiotic bacteria,” she says.

“As a living microorganism, organic S. boulardii is produced with carefully selected organic raw ingredients. Therefore, the manufacturing conditions are adapted and optimized to ensure the probiotic’s viability,” Maillet explains.

Conscious buying choices
The organic positioning for S. boulardii creates new opportunities for consumers looking to make conscious buying choices. Probiotic yeast has been used in dietary food and supplements for over a century.

Suitable for children and adults, S. boulardii is one of the most widely studied and used yeasts because of its health benefits. More than 100 clinical studies have been done on the strain, and it is sold in roughly 100 countries. 

“Lallemand Health Solutions offers organic S. boulardii as powder, which is available as a pure organic ingredient for use in organic dietary supplements. Our research and development team has done all the necessary pilot-scale tests to ensure a shelf life stability of 24 months at 25° Celsius with a concentration set at 20 billion CFU per gram,” Maillet continues.

“This innovative positioning for S. boulardii creates new opportunities for consumers willing to make thorough buying choices,” she explains.

Consumers take pride in participating in sustainable development, which can be expressed in their purchases, showing a strong preference for brands that align with their beliefs. 

According to Lallemand’s research, about 48% of global consumers are willing to spend more money on an organic product most, or even all, of the time. Approximately 37% of global consumers state that the “organic” claim is important when buying nutritional supplements.

In other company developments, Lallemand Health Solutions’ two bacterial strains, L. helveticus Rosell-52 and B. bifidum Rosell-71, may support the development of beneficial gut microflora in infants and Health Canada has determined that they are safe to use in infant formula.Probiotics have been proven to relieve lifestyle-related gut discomfort. 

Supply chain transparency
According to European regulations, consumer confidence and supply chain transparency are ensured by a third-party verification process through the certification process. Organic S. boulardii, a living microorganism, is produced with raw ingredients selected in optimized manufacturing conditions.

“The process to be certified as an organic supplier and be able to supply pure organic ingredients used in organic certified dietary supplements is a lengthy and rigorous process that Lallemand achieved successfully,” says Maillet.

Probiotics are renowned for maintaining gut barrier integrity, which helps ease lifestyle-induced gut discomfort. According to Lallemand Health Solutions, clinical evidence suggests probiotics promote digestive comfort and gut transit in all healthy population groups, including babies, pregnant women and older adults. 

By supporting the body’s natural defenses, probiotic use is correlated with reducing risks associated with sporadic gastrointestinal dysbiosis, such as those that can occur when lifestyle habits change (e.g., while traveling or after an antibiotic regimen).

Meanwhile, a Chr. Hansen study revealed that consumers worldwide are keen to learn more about probiotics. The demand for gut health and immunity support drives the interest.

By Inga de Jong