The global probiotics market is projected to grow to $64 billion at a CAGR of 7.0% through 2022.
Although all regions are expected to experience growth, the fastest region is Latin America, with Brazil contributing 52% of the area’s total probiotic market.
Fuelled by evolving eating habits, functional foods and beverages are one of the largest growing market segments in Latin America and are projected to grow quickly. A rising middle-class, with more disposable income is expanding awareness, innovation and product availability across the region.
“Latin America is one of the largest opportunities for probiotic fortified foods and beverages, but the challenge here is that education plays a big role in consumers understanding the health benefits associated with probiotics,” said Michael Bush, Executive Director at Kerry for Wellmune and GanedenBC30.
“This highlights the importance for manufacturers to look for probiotics that can easily convey their specific benefits while offering flexible formulation attributes. Choosing a science-backed probiotic that is well-positioned and can be efficiently formulated into better-for-you versions of everyday foods and beverages will reach an untapped consumer base.”
In Asia, China leads probiotic market growth with an estimated 35.4% of market share, helping to drive the region’s estimated 8.5% CAGR through 2022.
Opportunities for probiotic fortified food and beverages with digestive health benefits are driven by increased interests in key consumer groups including an expanding population aged 60 and older, as well as families with children.
For example, 42% of Chinese consumers are buying beverages with digestive benefits, and half of all mothers in China are concerned about digestive issues.
Demand beyond traditional probiotic offerings, such as yogurts, is also driving innovation and probiotic products in Asia are beginning to expand into beverages, confections, chocolates, baked goods and snacks.
Strong opportunity for innovation in probiotic foods and beverages
“Successful probiotic products across all global markets must include innovation into new product categories,” continued Bush.
“In the past, probiotic stability has led to manufacturing challenges that may have stifled innovation, because it was thought probiotics could not be incorporated into different types of foods and beverages.
New probiotic technologies, such as GanedenBC30, have opened up avenues of innovation because it means they can be used not just in chilled dairy products but also in applications such as non-dairy beverages, frozen foods, cookies, cereals, baked goods and even hot drinks.”
GanedenBC30 (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086) is a market leading probiotic strain that offers digestive, immune and protein utilization health benefits. Because GanedenBC30 is a spore-forming probiotic, it is much more resistant to the extremes of pH, heat, cold and pressure than vegetative cells, making it a much better fit for fortification of everyday foods and beverages.
Highly stable with up to 3 years of shelf-life, it has a protective shell that shields it from both stomach acids as well as food-processing conditions like heat, shear, HTST and HPP pasteurisation.
GanedenBC30 is an effective product backed by more than 25 published papers. It leads globally, with more than 900 products currently on shelves — more than 350 of which launched in 2017.
“The challenges with introducing new probiotic products and brands into untapped economies such as Latin America and China must be met with science-backed probiotics that are well-positioned and can be efficiently formulated into better-for-you versions of everyday foods and beverage,” stated Bush.
“The ingredients that win out are well-studied, branded probiotics that easily convey a benefit-driven story that consumers can understand and trust. A strong branded functional ingredient should be backed by documented safety, efficacy and quality.”