The global probiotics market is growing and is estimated to be $69bn by 2023.[1] Within this market, Asia is rapidly expanding. Asia Pacific accounts for a projected $31.67bn (46% of global market).[2] As well, China is projected to be at $11.36bn by 2023, which is 36% of Asia and 16% of the global market.[3]
Probiotics formulated into foods and beverages account for over 80% of the probiotic market and are growing at 6.8% CAGR. Asia is projected to grow at 8.4% CAGR and China is projected to grow slightly faster at 8.5% CAGR. [4]
What is driving this growth? Research shows an increase in preference for functional foods and beverages is fueled by demand for digestive health benefits, and a high level of awareness of probiotic benefits.
Demand Fueled by Awareness
A new global consumer report by Kerry found that the majority of consumers surveyed indicated that digestive health was a personal priority. In fact, “Promote Good Digestive Health” was one of the top three reasons for purchasing healthy lifestyle products in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) region.
Clearly, digestive health is on the mind of many consumers in the Asia Pacific region. The survey also found, however, consumers are not just interested in their digestive health – they’re also seeking out food and beverage products to improve it. For example, 37% of respondents in Asia said they would be interested in purchasing fruit and vegetable juices if they contained ingredients that promoted digestive health. [5] In Asia, about one third (32%) would be interested in buying snacks containing ingredients with digestive health benefits. [6]
Formulation challenges
While demand is clear, the challenge often starts with “how to formulate with probiotics.” Why? Not all probiotics are created equal. There are important variations in levels of performance in areas such as survivability, health benefit efficacy and formulation flexibility. Many probiotic strains are fragile and need to be refrigerated, making it hard to offer digestive health benefits in products beyond the dairy aisle. Meeting consumer demand for digestive health benefits can therefore be difficult, particularly when they need to be delivered in an increasingly wide range of categories. In APMEA, fortifying foods and beverages with science-backed probiotic ingredients may be key to meeting the rising demand for food and beverages that offer digestive health benefits.
The solution?
The GanedenBC30 (Bacillus coagulans, GBI-30, 6086) brand connects with consumers by educating them about probiotics, delivering on ingredient transparency and ultimately building trust in the final product. Because of its stability and survivability versus vegetative cells, science-backed ingredients that provide proven benefits and variety of products suitable for formulation, BC30 helps meet consumer demand for safe, efficacious probiotics in everyday foods and beverages, including:
- Teas
- Smoothies
- Juices
- Protein powder
- Ice cream
- Nuts
- Cereals
Learn more
Kerry recently hosted a webinar with a panel of experts, including Don Cox, PhD, Director of Research and Development, Kerry ProActive Health and Brian Nevin, Senior Business Development Director, Kerry Applied Health and Nutrition for an informative discussion covering:
- Market-specific probiotic and digestive health trends.
- How spore-forming probiotics help provide solutions to formulation challenges.
- Innovative ideas that demonstrate how to incorporate a spore-forming probiotic into different product applications.
You can view the webinar here
[1] MarketsandMarkets, Probiotics Market Global Forecast to 2023, Dec 2018
[2] MarketsandMarkets, Probiotics Market Global Forecast to 2023, Dec 2018
[3] MarketsandMarkets, Probiotics Market Global Forecast to 2023, Dec 2018:
[4] MarketsandMarkets, Probiotics Market Global Forecast to 2023, Dec 2018:
[5] Kerry Global Consumer Survey – Digestive & Immune Health, 2019
[6] Kerry Global Consumer Survey – Digestive & Immune Health, 2019
