World of biotics: Industry innovations offer new solutions for targeted nutrition and wellness

The nutrition landscape is rapidly evolving, with probiotic innovations leading the way in targeted health solutions. Industry leaders are harnessing these advancements to address specific health concerns, offering tailored nutritional support that promises enhanced efficacy and personalized wellness options for consumers looking to optimize their health.

Nutrition Insight catches up with experts from Gnosis by Lesaffre and Novonesis to better understand the growing world of biotic health solutions.

“At Novonesis, we have a broad portfolio of biotics ingredients that support health benefits across all stages of life and across health categories,” says Jakob Dalmose Rasmussen, vice president of human health biosolutions – strategy, portfolio and marketing at Novonesis. 

“Currently, our portfolio encompasses gastrointestinal health, mental health, women’s health, infant and children’s health, immune and protective health, oral health and cardiometabolic health. Our strength in science underpins all our products, leading to numerous health benefits supported by our biotics ingredients.”

Emilie Puppinck, the biotics product manager at Gnosis by Lesaffre, points out that today’s modern consumers are actively looking for solutions to prevent digestive problems caused by poor diet, lifestyle and stress.

“The prevalence of digestive health problems will continue over the next decade, which should be the biotics market’s biggest priority,” she reveals. “Moreover, consumer spending on health and wellness products is being considered more at a time when there is less fear of illness and concerns over rising prices.”

Targeted solutions

Innova Market Insights’ data suggest a 6% annual increase in biotic ingredient launches from October 2022 to September 2024. The US and Canada spearheaded these launches, with 62% featuring digestive and liver health claims. Kidney and bladder health claims are the fastest-growing category.

Rasmussen highlights that Novonesis’ product range includes Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, LGG, the most documented probiotic strain globally, alongside BB-12, the most documented Bifidobacterium.

At the same time, the company offers Urex — a combination of the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 — is the leading probiotic for urogenital health. Additionally, its ProbioBrain contains the clinically documented Bifidobacterium longum 1714 strain, which he says provides a novel solution for mental wellness.

“Our deep scientific understanding and expertise include end-to-end capabilities on strain discovery, strain characterization, and exceptional abilities in clinical studies,” Rasmussen underscores. “Novonesis also has in-house capabilities that help us understand how microbes work inside the gastrointestinal tract, including how they influence gastrointestinal physiology and the microecology of the gastrointestinal tract.”

“While data from clinical studies form the evidence of the health benefits for our various ingredients, we can further complement this data with pre-clinical evidence that gives us an even deeper understanding of our biotics ingredients.”

Compelling innovations

According to Puppinck at Gnosis by Lesaffre, the most compelling biotic innovations include probiotics tailored to individual needs through microbiome analysis, innovative formulations that combine probiotics with other beneficial ingredients like prebiotics and vitamins, and strains supported by new clinical studies, particularly those exploring the gut-brain axis.Jakob Dalmose Rasmussen, vice president of human health biosolutions – strategy, portfolio and marketing at Novonesis.

She stresses that innovations need to emphasize their effectiveness and necessity to consumers through core messaging.

“To this third point, Gnosis by Lesaffre offers ibSium (Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM-I-3856), a probiotic yeast clinically proven to support overall intestinal comfort,” Puppinck emphasizes.

“As the gut is well-known to be the center of overall health, from helping manage abdominal discomfort, bloating, recurrent transit disorders and Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms, ibSium can improve everyday digestive comfort and quality of life.”

“ibSium has shown consumer-approved, fast-acting support. A study of more than 1,160 volunteers reported more than 96% satisfaction with gut comfort improvement with ibSium. Three out of four participants experienced positive effects on their digestive comfort within the first 15 days of consumption.”

Future focuses

Rasmussen states that Novonesis is uniquely positioned in the biotic ingredients industry, drawing on a rich legacy and history. Looking ahead, he explains that the company plans to leverage its recently merged portfolio, robust scientific and manufacturing capabilities, vertical integration, and close collaboration with key customers and partners, along with deep consumer insights, to address evolving market and consumer demands.

Rasmussen says the company’s commitment to improving human health spans all life stages and leverages partnerships and regional insights to tailor solutions that address diverse consumer needs across various regions and life phases.

“While the industry and market continue to grow, we recognize that consumers (and sometimes the industry) still occasionally hold misconceptions. It can also be challenging for consumers to understand what they should be looking for in products on the market. Thus, we believe in the need to continue our work in educating the market through collaboration with scientific and commercial partners across different regions,” Rasmussen details.

“Finally, we will continue to stay close to our customers and key partners to ensure we deliver on our Strain to Solution capabilities – the ability to sit with a customer and look at ideation, do product design, formulate, manufacture and support the customer in terms of documentation and after-sales needs.”Emilie Puppinck, the biotics product manager at Gnosis by Lesaffre.

Forward-thinking innovations

Gnosis by Lesaffre looks to continually answer the challenges presented with probiotics in order to bring their proven health benefits to consumers and to make them more accessible and applicable for customers.

Puppinck stresses that probiotics, which are live microorganisms, face challenges like instability and sensitivity to environmental factors such as heat and humidity. To protect these probiotics, techniques like microencapsulation are used, particularly for bacterial strains.

However, she adds that probiotic yeast and sporulated bacteria naturally endure intestinal transit without the need for encapsulation.

“When consumed, probiotics provide numerous health benefits. These beneficial microorganisms help maintain a healthy microflora balance in the gut, promoting digestive health and overall well-being. Still, we discover new benefits every day,” Puppinck concludes.

“The prevalence of digestive health problems will continue and should be the biotics market’s biggest priority. However, the gut-brain axis plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health. Thanks to our research department and Lesaffre’s expertise, we are studying new strains that can support the gut-brain axis and help maintain optimal health, including how we might explore improvements in mood.”