Dive Brief:
- Commodities giant ADM announced it will market and sell a postbiotic ingredient targeting sleep, stress and mood created by Japanese company Asahi Group. ADM will distribute the product in North America, Europe and Asia starting in March.
- The ingredient, Lactobacillus gasseri, was developed through years of research on lactic acid bacteria. Its benefits are backed by eight clinical trials, according to ADM. The postbiotic will be used in a variety of applications, including functional food, beverages and supplements.
- ADM is taking a greater interest in ingredients targeting gut health, which is a growing nutrition priority for many consumers.
Dive Insight:
As gut health products from prebiotic sodas to Icelandic skyr fill grocery shelves, ingredients producers are acting fast to take advantage of the growing segment.
The deal with Asahi Group will advance the development of new products that will improve consumer wellness, Mark Lotsch, ADM’s president of global health and wellness, said in a statement.
“Stress, mood and sleep are among the fastest-growing wellness segments, and — as the cornerstone to physical and emotional health — they are also some of the most disruptive factors to everyday life and overall well-being if not properly supported,” said Lotsch
In the press release, ADM pointed to Euromonitor data that showed products targeting mood and relaxation grew 13% annually between 2018 and 2023.
Asahi Group’s L. gasseri ingredient, reportedly reduces the time it takes people to fall asleep and improve the efficiency and duration of the rest.
ADM’s products in the gut health category include a range of probiotic ingredients targeting digestive health and immunity. In 2023, it announced a collaboration with tech company Brightseed to use its AI to develop ingredients that improve the microbiome.
Proponents of postbiotics say they can help boost the immune system and reduce intestinal inflammation. Kantha Shelke, a food ingredients researcher at IFT, told Food Dive in 2023 that postbiotics are created when prebiotic plant fibers consume probiotics. She added that postbiotics contain the beneficial effects of both substances.
The market for postbiotics is projected to be worth $3 billion by 2031, increasing at a compound annual growth rate of 6.8%, according to Allied Market Research.
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