Teijin has announced the launch of the Teijin Meguro Institute to strengthen the company’s development and manufacture of probiotics for use in functional foods.
The new firm will provide functional food ingredients that meet the demands of health-conscious consumers by leveraging its predecessor’s expertise in probiotics, which are microorganisms that benefit human health by improving the balance of intestinal lactic acid bacteria, etc. and the prebiotics that feed them.
Teijin Meguro Institute, the new wholly owned subsidiary of Teijin Limited, has inherited the personnel and equipment of its predecessor, Meguro Institute. The former company was established in 1925 as the Osaka Experimental Therapy Institute by the late Dr Yosaburo Meguro, an abacteriologist and immunologist who studied at the Kitasato Institute and the Pasteur Institute. In 1937, the company name was changed to Meguro Institute, and it manufactured, sold and handled outsourced business involving lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus subtilis natto for use in pharmaceuticals, functional foods and feed additives backed by its excellent expertise in culturing bacteria, manufacturing method and stable supply.
In recent years, the market for lactic-acid bacteria, bifidobacteria and other probiotics has expanded rapidly amid the general public’s growing interest in immunity due to the COVID-19 pandemic
In August, Teijin signed a share-transfer agreement with Maruishi Pharmaceutical, the parent company of Meguro Research Institute, and subsequently received 100% of the firm’s shares. The new company, while continuing to conduct research, manufacturing and sales of lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus subtilis natto, also will work to commercialise promising microorganisms currently being developed by Teijin.
The newly appointed president of Teijin Meguro Institute is Takanori Miyoshi, who has engaged in basic research into polymer materials since joining Teijin in 1992 as well as research and development of functional-food ingredients since 2013.
Teijin expects to enhance the probiotics division of its functional food ingredients business by merging its own research, development and marketing capabilities with the technologies, know-how and sales network of Teijin Meguro Institute. In conjunction with the launch, Teijin has changed the name of its “Functional Food Ingredient Business Development Project” to the “Biolier Division.” “Biolier” originally is Teijin’s functional food ingredient business trade name in Japan emphasising its status as one of a few companies involved with synbiotics, which synergistically combine the functions of prebiotics and probiotics. Going forward, Teijin expects to accelerate the growth of its functional food ingredients line, part of the company’s overall healthcare business, under a mission of enhancing human quality of life to help people worldwide enjoy fulfilling lives from birth to their final days.
Teijin’s prebiotics lineup in Japan includes BARLEYmax super barley sold since 2016 and water-soluble dietary fiber sold since 2018. In 2020, Teijin expanded into probiotics and signed a sales agency agreement with Chr. Hansen Holding A/S, a leading supplier of probiotics, to sell materials and products such as lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria. In addition, Teijin created the “Biolier” trade name in Japan in 2020 for its entire functional food ingredient lineup to help position the company as a “bio sommelier” backed by scientific evidence and now uses “Biolier” in its new business division name to show the company’s intention to expand its related business globally.
In recent years, the market for lactic-acid bacteria, bifidobacteria and other probiotics has expanded rapidly amid the general public’s growing interest in immunity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The global market, valued at roughly USD 3.5 billion in 2021, is expected to surpass USD 6 billion by 2028 according to a report issued by Insight Partners on June 17.
