The new product, which will be launched under the brand name Oyfusion (in Chinese: 憂乐维), utilises Probiotic Blend, sold as Probi.®Osteo.
Combines 3 probiotic strains Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HEAL9 (HEAL9™), Lactiplantibacillus plantarumHEAL19, and Lactobacillus paracasei8700:2, which has been clinically proven to support bone health, including increasing bone density and reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
This is the first sports nutrition probiotic product that the Swedish probiotic supplier is developing in collaboration with Sinopharm Foreign Trade.
However, the two companies have previously cooperated in areas such as raw material distribution, and have also developed products for other brands.
One example is CareBree, which was launched in November 2022, a solid drink containing probiotics to support iron absorption in women and pregnant women. Other products launched include GetRock, a bone health probiotic aimed at adults over 50, and Feelgoo, which supports immunity.
Their latest collaboration is also a solid drink, designed to ease joint pain and speed up post-workout recovery.
The formula will also include a plant-based selenium complex supplied by the Jiangsu Selenium Institute, as selenium has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties.
“China’s nutrition market lacks products that can support older adults who want to lead an active lifestyle, engage in exercise such as jogging, and age actively while paying attention to their health.“Karen Ong, APAC head at PROVI, said: NutraIngredients – Asia.
In fact, bone health, and osteoporosis in particular, ranks highly as the health issue of greatest concern among Chinese consumers.
According to a 2018 epidemiological survey on osteoporosis, the prevalence of osteoporosis in China among people aged 40 to 49 was 3.2%, but the figure jumped to 19.2% among those aged 50 or older.
China’s extraordinary demand for bone health products has also been reported by consumer health products giant Haleon.
In its first-quarter financial results, Haleong highlighted double-digit revenue growth for its calcium supplement brand Caltrate, with particularly strong growth in China.
Interest in Probiotics for Bone Health in Asia Pacific
Besides China, Ong is eyeing South Korea as a potential market for growth in probiotics that support bone health.
This is because Korean consumers have a strong understanding of probiotics and their benefits that go beyond gut health.
Meanwhile, India is an emerging market for probiotics to support bone health.
While the general public is not very knowledgeable about the use of probiotics, Indian consumers have a high level of understanding and purchasing power for probiotic products.
From an industry perspective, Ong noted that interest in probiotics for bone health in India is growing from local as well as regional companies.
“India is a very large market and I would say it is very diverse in terms of segmentation.
“On the one hand, the probiotic population is huge, but on the other hand, we know that there is a select group of consumers and patients who can afford things like probiotics.
“Generally, there is a high awareness among this consumer group in India about what probiotics can do for them. India is a market with a wide awareness of what probiotics can do for them.”she said.
Other Opportunities in China
Probiotics in functional foods, for gut health, cognitive function and mood, and metabolic health are some of the other areas with significant growth potential.
Ong noted that more and more food companies are keen on producing functional foods and beverages.
One reason is that consumers are generally interested in foods that may have health benefits. For example, one of Probi’s partners is Mengniu, a major Chinese dairy company.
“We are also increasingly moving into the functional foods sector, which offers a faster time to market compared to products that have to be Blue Hat registered as health foods.”
Another opportunity, she pointed to cross-border electronic commerce (CBEC), which allows traditional supplement formats such as capsules and tablets to be sold in China without going through blue-hat registration.
Meanwhile, while probiotics for gut health are well established in the market, Ong sees room for growth in this area as well as in the emerging areas of mood and metabolic health.
“Given the market size, there is tremendous growth potential in China across all probiotic categories.
“We believe there is still significant room for growth for our flagship product, LP299V, a probiotic strain for gut health and the strain for which we are best known.”
“The second area is cognitive health. I think post-COVID, mental health is getting a lot more awareness and attention.” She added that the company has launched Probi.®Sensia has been shown to support cognitive function, balance mood and promote restful sleep.
“We launched Probi®Sensia was founded at the end of last year and is already in many discussions with companies of all sizes both in and outside of China.” she said.
Metabolic health, spanning conditions such as high blood sugar levels, high cholesterol levels and obesity, is also a potential area for the company to explore.
