The global probiotics market is epxected to reach $47.3bn by 2018. Rather than being offered only as a powder or capsule that must be kept refrigerated, probiotics are now also shelf stable capsules, cute little drinks and ingredients in a wide range of foods. $39bn of the probiotic market will come from functional foods and beverages in three years.
And, if all goes to plan, probiotics will soon be delivered in straws.
Ganeden Biotech, US maker of the probiotic, GanedenBC, and CapAble, the Swedish BioGaia subsidary that creates probiotic packaging solutions, are developing a telescoping GanedenBC LifeTop probiotic straw that can be used in both refrigerated and shelf stable milk or juice boxes, pouches and bottles.
The straws will contain 1 billion CFU of GanedenBC and can be applied to Tetra Pak and other shelf stable beverage containers.
Michael Bush, Ganeden senior vice president, commented, “Beverage manufacturers around the globe are asking for solutions to incorporate our patented probiotic into shelf stable beverages and the use of the GanedenBC LifeTop Straw enables integration into shelf stable beverages of all types.”
The new probiotic straws will allow the healthy bacteria to be available in a range of beverages, including shelf stable SKUs.
“As consumer demand for probiotics grows, so do the delivery forms available. Not everyone can or wants to eat yogurt or take pills; these straws offer a new option for consumers to get probiotics. A child can get their daily dose of probiotics from a juice pouch in her lunch box - this is groundbreaking.
“Each straw delivers a full day’s supply of GanedenBC probiotics and you simply insert the straw into the beverage container and drink. “Kids won’t balk at the flavorless probiotic and the straws look just like all the others,” Bush added
CapAble AB is a subsidiary of probiotic company, BioGaia, developing, manufacturing and marketing unique packaging solutions for sensitive ingredients, primarily probiotics. Its products - sold under the brand, LifeTop - are currently a drinking straw and a bottle closure for PET bottles. Life Top allows ingredients to be separated and protected from a liquid until the moment of consumption, so sensitive ingredients like probiotics can be used shelf stable beverages.
The LifeTop Straw is designed for small volume sensitive ingredients, like probiotics. The straws can either be applied to single serve drink cartons such as Tetra Brick or Tetra Prisma, using existing straw applicators, or can be sold in multi-pacs to be used with any beverage.
CapAble also has the LifeTop Cap, which is a patented bottle closure, where sensitive powder ingredients are placed in a protective aluminium blister inside the cap. When the top of the cap is pushed, the blister breaks open and the powder is released into the beverage.
The first probiotic straw was developed by BioGaia in 2009, and incorporated into Nestle Nutrition kids' milk brand, Boost Kid Essentials, in Spain and Japan. The Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry milk drinks were packed in a shelf-stable Tetra Prisma package from Tetra Pak.
