The global probiotics market has grown tremendously in the last couple of years; especially in the supplement form. In 2021, the probiotics industry was >48 billion dollars with a 22% increase in probiotic supplements from 2019 to 2021. This increasing use of probiotic supplements is due to the evidence that probiotics support GI health. Further, clinical research has demonstrated the efficacy of probiotics in the treatment of conditions such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infections, abdominal pain in children, and infant colic to name a few.

Reacting to the increase in consumer demand and growth in the industry, researchers are developing novel probiotic strains at a fast pace while considering the impact of processing, storage, gastrointestinal survivability, and functionality of the cells. A key consideration during formulation is compatibility with other ingredients. Probiotic strains may be encapsulated to ensure survivability in the GI tract, during processing, and for application when added to different food matrices such as powders, bars, gummies, infant formula, and pet food.

The most widely used probiotic strains belong to two main genera, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, due to their abundance in the human gut and GRAS status. Species of other genera such as Bacillus, Saccharomyces, and Streptococcus are also used as probiotic supplements.

Irrespective of probiotics with multiple strains or single strains, in capsule, powder, or as an additive in a food matrix, the level claimed on the label needs verification. Mérieux NutriSciences offers this verification in CFUs or AFUs and has experience with a variety of probiotic strains and their applications. Our services also include testing for contaminants to ensure the safety of probiotics for human consumption.

To qualify as probiotics, strains need to be viable and have a health benefit when consumed. Clinical studies help identify the minimal and optimal doses that probiotics exert on a favorable outcome. Biofortis, Mérieux NutriScience’s sister company, offers clinical research testing to demonstrate GI survivability and health benefit claim studies.

Our Mérieux NutriScience laboratory and Biofortis Research clinical trial services will support you through your product lifecycle and beyond ensuring a high-quality probiotic formulation supported by data.

We are eager to help!

Contact Us

1. International Probiotics Association Europe. Global and European probiotic market insights 2018-2021. IPAEurope website. https://www.ipaeurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Market-data-probiotics-2018-2021.pdf
2. Probiotics in Disease Prevention and Treatment https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6656559/
3. The Development of High-Quality Multispecies Probiotic Formulations: From Bench to Market. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7468868/
4. Encapsulated probiotic cells: Relevant techniques, natural sources as encapsulating materials and food applications – A narrative review https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996920307079#:~:text=Several%20techniques%20are%20currently%20available,%2C%20%26%20Tzia%2C%202020

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As you might have heard, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. is working to reduce exposure to environmental contaminants in food and beverage products. The Closer to Zero campaign focuses on baby and young children’s food products, and the four main contaminants are arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. These four contaminants, also called heavy metals or toxic elements, are found naturally. Exposure to higher levels can cause health risks, especially in younger children as their immune systems are not yet fully developed.

This initiative is going to evaluate the common foods eaten by infants and young children, such as dairy-based infant formula, soy-based infant formula, meat-based baby foods, and vegetable-based baby foods. In addition, the agency will also look into heavy metals exposure in fruits and cereals. After an intense scientific study, as well as consultation with stakeholders, the FDA will implement action levels. These action levels are what the FDA considers achievable by industry to minimize the presence of heavy metals. Upon finalizing these action levels, a timeframe will be established for assessment of the industry in meeting these standards.

The first Draft Guidance of this initiative was released in late January 2023 and is centered around lead levels. The final version will not be worked on until later this year. The tentative action levels for lead in the following foods are:

• 10 parts per billion (ppb) for fruits, vegetables (excluding single-ingredient root vegetables), mixtures (including grain and meat-based mixtures), yogurts, custards/puddings, and single-ingredient meats
• 20 ppb for root vegetables (single ingredient)
• 20 ppb for dry infant cereals

While we await the official Draft Guidances for arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, the forthcoming action levels have been known for some time, thus Mérieux NutriSciences has already implemented an update to meet these guidelines. Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) testing, our chemists have successfully lowered our detection limits for the four heavy metals.

Detection limits for the ICP-MS testing method for heavy metals.

Although the initial reason for updating our internal methodology was to meet the coming Closer to Zero action levels, our method capability can cover nearly all food and beverage products, with some restrictions on a matrix-to-matrix basis.

Contact Merieux NutriSciences today for any questions relating to the Closer to Zero campaign or how we can help you!

Contact Mérieux

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Our entire Biofortis team welcomes back Chad Cook, PhD, as our new Research Director! Dr. Cook was with us from 2012 to 2017, working his way from Senior Scientist position to lead Principal Scientist role. He ended his first stint as the Merieux NutriSciences Scientist of the Year. In 2018, he left for an opportunity to get a taste of the world by owning and successfully operating a business called DexaFit: however, Chad never lost his passion for research and missed being a scientist. We highly value his expertise in nutrition research and enjoy his contagious enthusiasm for “the science”. Welcome back, Chad!

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Where did I leave my keys?

I’m sorry, what’s your name again?

I can’t remember if I should turn left or right.

What did I come in here for?

Sound familiar? We’ve all misplaced keys, forgot someone’s name, have difficulties recalling directions, or entered the kitchen and blanked on why you went there in the first place. Memory lapses are frustrating, but they happen and are not usually concerning. As we age, memory lapses happen more often and it is part of healthy aging. However, when memory loss becomes persistent and affects your ability to function, it becomes worrisome. According to a recent market analysis, the global brain health supplements market size is expected to reach USD 13.38 billion by 2028. Of the different types of brain-boosting supplements, those for memory enhancement dominated the market in 2020, with more than 25.0% revenue share, likely driven by the growing aging population.

Recently, we conducted and published an investigation into the effects of citicoline (Cognizin®), a naturally occurring mononucleotide, on memory in 100 healthy elderly adults with age-associated memory impairment. After daily consumption of 500 mg of a commercially available citicoline supplement for 12 weeks, we observed that citicoline supplementation improved composite memory, specifically episodic memory, when compared to the group taking placebo. Episodic memory describes the ability to remember and recall specific events, paired with the content in which they occurred, such as identifying when and where an object was encountered. A decline in episodic memory often manifests as the inability to recall past events or retrieve lessons from past experiences which can lead to repeat error and has been shown to decline with aging. Our results are consistent with other clinical trials that have shown improvements in memory following citicoline supplementation in older men and women, without eliciting any serious adverse events. Our findings suggest that regular consumption of Cognizin® may be safe and potentially beneficial against memory loss due to aging.

Check out our paper to learn more about the study here.

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Dr. Beckman began working at Biofortis in January of 2020. She finds participating in clinical research interesting because during her training, she read about studies all the time in journal publications. Beckman graduated from University of St. Francis in Joliet, and then went on to Loyola University Chicago – Stritch School of Medicine. She then completed her fellowship at Northwestern University.

Dawn wears many hats at Biofortis, but mainly she is in charge of making sure studies are safe for subjects.

“If [subjects] are having any symptoms, side effects or diagnoses, they get evaluated to see if it could potentially be related to something in the study that they’re taking or doing, or if it is something potentially pre-existing,” said Dawn. “We’re always looking out for the safety of the subjects.”

Dr. Beckman has loved her job at Biofortis since day one, because her colleagues are so enthusiastic and motivated, and for the most part, her subjects are healthy and happy to be there. She said this is a nice juxtaposition from her other office, a private practice where she specializes in Allergy and Immunology, where most patients come to her with complaints or issues.

Outside of work, Dawn enjoys various hobbies. She loves to garden, and this year she is attempting to grow pumpkins. She not only knits, but also designs knitwear, by taking patterns and making them her own. Dawn also enjoys DIY home improvement projects. Growing up, her father was a handyman around the house, and being the oldest daughter, she would help him and learn from him. When she is not working at Biofortis or her private practice, you might find her doing one of these creative projects.

Biofortis is a full service clinical research and scientific consulting company. Our research is focused on foods, ingredients and dietary supplements. Research conducted at Biofortis has helped evaluate food and nutrient metabolism and tolerance, support label claims, and demonstrate health benefits of products in the general and specific populations.

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I have always been a huge foodie, and a few years ago I started a food blog on Instagram called @llizagna. I photograph and post pictures of food that look amazing, and in the captions I let my followers know how they tasted and if I would recommend them. Something I have learned from running this account is that food can look really appetizing and aesthetically pleasing, but if it tastes bad, no one will eat it. The opposite is true as well. Food can be really tasty, but if it looks gross, consumers will not buy it.

Last summer, I worked as a marketing intern at Biofortis Research, a division of Merieux NutriSciences in Addison, IL. Before my internship, I did not realize how much work goes into making products both look and taste appetizing. Biofortis helps companies fine-tune their products in both of these aspects. The Addison location has a Sensory and Consumer Insights department where they are contracted by food companies to conduct studies on their products to make sure they are accepted and presented to the best of their ability. Biofortis recruits everyday consumers and trains professional taste testers to test and review products. With the testers’ feedback, the sensory scientists of Biofortis/Merieux systematically evaluate and present the products’ scores and acceptability to the sponsoring companies.

Clinical Trials & Scientific Consulting

The other department at Biofortis is the Clinical Trials and Scientific Consulting division. This group conducts clinical trials, manages the data, publishes manuscripts and much more. Companies hire Biofortis to conduct studies that often support marketing claims, such as “lowers cholesterol” or “aids weight loss.” Recently, Biofortis provided the scientific report used in an FDA-approved qualified health claim submitted on behalf of Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., which states that consuming cranberry products can lower the risk of recurrent urinary tract infections.

Biofortis’ two departments go hand-in-hand and support the point I stated earlier. Consumers might be interested in a product because of the beneficial health claims on its label, but if it looks or tastes bad, no one will want it. Again, the opposite is true as well. Something could look and taste great, but a consumer might choose an alternate product that has beneficial health claims. There is so much that goes into understanding what a consumer looks for in their products. I have taken what I learned at Biofortis and applied it to my food blog. Now, I make sure to discuss not only a food’s taste and appearance, but its health benefits (or lack thereof) as well. Biofortis has shown me that there is so much that goes into perfecting a product, and it comes down to understanding what consumers want.

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1. 1. How did your background lead you to a career in clinical research?

My background is in medical laboratory technology.  My first job out of college was at a reference laboratory in the customer service department.  After a couple of years there, I accepted a job at a clinical research company in Chicago where my responsibilities included drawing blood and processing samples.  I was not the best at drawing blood at that time, but thanks to a great staff at the lab, I developed better skills.  After 11 years, I decided to take the current position I am working in and will be here for 12 years this June.  Not sure how it lead to research, but I must enjoy it since it’s been 22 years (yikes)!

1. 1. What are the most rewarding aspects of your job?

The most rewarding part of my job is when I can make a subject feel good about getting a blood draw, as funny as that may sound.  Nobody “likes” to get their blood drawn, but some people have had a bad experience previously, and when I am able to draw their blood without any trouble, it puts the subject at ease about participating in the study.

1. 1. Describe challenges of clinical trial lab sample processing

One of the more challenging aspects is freezer storage space.  Although we currently have three -80 degree freezers, our storage is usually at a premium due to the need for keeping backup samples or archive samples.  Back-up samples for stool samples take up the most room.  Having a tracking system that indicates what we have in storage and when we are due to discard the samples is a help.

1. 1. How have clinical research lab tests and techniques changed throughout your career?

The biggest thing that has changed is the research area of interest, most notably microbiome.  When I first started in research, cholesterol studies were the hot topic. Now it seems there is a lot of interest in gut microbiomes that involve collecting stool samples, which were rarely collected when I first started.  Even the collection of stool samples has changed since we first started collecting those.  We used to have subjects bring in their samples in a “Cool Whip” container and we would do the processing.  Now, the collection containers are small tubes and we have the subjects do more of the processing at home.

1. What unique offerings does Biofortis offer in its laboratory department?

I think that Biofortis offers more equipment than typical.  We have three -80 degree freezers, two refrigerated centrifuges, a fume hood, and two Cholestech instruments.

About Jeanne

When not in the lab, Jeanne enjoys traveling, bird watching, as well as spending time with her husband, teenaged son and daughter, their two cockatiels, and their recently adopted dog.

Biofortis is a full-service contract research organization, specifically focused on clinical trials in the areas of foods, ingredients, and dietary supplements. Our laboratory staff is trained to collect a variety of lab samples and specimens, including samples for the analysis of gut, vaginal or salivary microbiota. For more information on our experience and services, please visit biofortisresearch.com.

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