Digestive health claim approval for Kerry’s GanedenBC30 in Brazil creates new probiotic market opportunities

12 Nov 2020 --- Kerry’s branded probiotic ingredient GanedenBC30 has received a digestive health claim approval from the Brazilian F&B health agency ANVISA.

The approved “Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 can contribute to the health of the gastrointestinal tract” claim creates new opportunities to meet the growing demand for products with gut health benefits in the Brazilian market, says Kerry.

“Consumers in Brazil are very interested in functional F&B with digestive health benefits and aware that probiotics can provide them,” says John Quiler, vice president and general manager for GanedenBC.

According to Kerry’s global consumer research for GanedenBC30, 49 percent of 800 surveyed Brazilian consumers in June 2019 had either used products with beneficial bacteria, such as probiotics, over the past six months or would consider doing so.

This approval follows similar digestive health claims for GanedenBC30 scored in Australian and New Zealand in August.

Kerry is tapping into the probiotics market in Brazil where consumers are increasingly interested in gut health.Honing in on health claims
To be marketed and sold in Brazil, all finished products containing GanedenBC30 must carry the new claim, register their product separately with ANVISA and include all required disclaimer statements on packaging.

GanedenBC30 is now approved for use in conventional F&B categories for children over three years and adults.

Health claims are increasingly resonating with consumers. When presented with images of products featuring the GanedenBC30 logo, 55 percent of the Brazilian consumers surveyed in 2019 perceived that the probiotic can “promote good digestive health.”

When given a product description, 91 percent agreed that it was either “completely believable,” or “somewhat believable.”

Quilter previously shared with NutritionInsight that health claims not only help inform consumers but also give manufacturers a valuable way to both differentiate and build trust.

Scientific evidence a priority
GanedenBC30 is backed by over 25 published papers. This scientific proof of efficacy was not only necessary for the claims submission to ANVISA, but also to stand out from the competition.

“The issue is not so much the status of claims themselves, but the amount and quality of scientific research backing them up,” Quilter previously detailed.

“Brands that offer clear evidence for their claims are better placed to cut through the noise, and there are signs that this is particularly true in the current climate.”

Kerry’s GanedenBC30 is backed by 25 published papers – necessary for the ANVISA health claims approval.Functional foods galore?
GanedenBC30 is a hardy spore-forming probiotic, which means it can thrive in processing conditions other strains cannot, says Kerry.

It can survive well in most F&B applications, including yogurts, juices, cereals, breakfast bars and snacks – the products consumers in Brazil are “most interested in purchasing,” according to the company.

A Kerry report from May encouraged food fortification with probiotics to expand to gastronomic, travel and leisure venues as lockdown restrictions took a particular toll on the food service sector.

The use of probiotics in F&B launches has increased globally, featuring a 13 percent year-over-year growth when comparing 2019 and 2018 launches.

The top five health positionings of F&B launches, including supplements, tracked with probiotics were digestive/gut health (39 percent), followed by probiotics (25 percent) and digestive/liver health (21 percent).

By Anni Schleicher

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