Ganeden taps functional shelf stable beverage market with probiotic-derived Staimune

The new ingredient utilizes deactivated cells of the probiotic GanedenBC30 to support immune health and can be incorporated into a range of shelf-stable beverages, the company said.

However, because it is a probiotic-derived ingredient it does not provide the same digestive health benefits associated with the probiotic strain GanedenBC30.

“We discovered and ultimately patented this novel ingredient which provides the opportunity to share the immune benefits of the probiotic in product formats that do not support the use of the live organism,”​ Michael Bush, president and CEO of Ganeden, said.

With an inclusion rate of 50 mg, Staimune does not alter the flavor or texture profiles of finished goods, the company said. The ingredient is also FDA GRAS, non-GMO, organic compliant, and kosher.

Consumer awareness and interest in probiotics​

Roughly 80% of consumers are familiar with probiotics and their associated health benefits and a growing number are aware of the different types of strains, the company found through consumer research.

Up until the development of Staimune, the shelf-stable beverage market was an untapped area for the company, Ganeden public relations manager, Teresa DeJohn, told BeverageDaily at IFT in Las Vegas last week.

“GanedenBC30 is only fortified in a few shelf-stable beverages, because manufacturers have to use additional technologies, such as special straws or caps to store the probiotics,”​ DeJohn said.

Brands such as Karma Wellness Waters and JUS by Julie's calming and energy shots feature a push cap that keeps the probiotics separate from the beverage until the consumer releases them into the liquid activating its immune health benefits.

The applications for Staimune and GanedenBC30 are vast, according to Ganeden, which believes that the rising popularity of functional food and beverages coupled with consumer awareness of probiotics will drive sales growth for both ingredients.

“Consumers know what probiotics are now and they’re willing to pay up to 20% more for a product with probiotics,”​ she said.

Additionally, 98% of consumers would buy a product with a functional health benefit if it is priced the same as one without, and 79% prefer to get their probiotics from food and beverage products, according to Ganeden’s research.

“The fact that GanedenBC30 is one of the only strains that can survive in foods and beverages outside of dairy and supplements gives us a real advantage,”​ DeJohn added.