Sales of probiotic food, drink and supplements are set to reach £29bn by 2018, as consumers seek food based answers to health issues, according to once expert commentator.
The markets and the latest science in the field, will be discussed at the eighth Probiota conference in Amsterdam.
Shane Starling, Senior Editor for FoodNavigator.com and Nutralingredients.com said: Probiota bridges the gap between scientific discovery and commercial application. The global market for probiotic food, beverages and supplements is growing strongly, valued at £19bn in 2013 and is expected to reach £29bn by 2018. Consumers are looking for products they can trust to support a range of conditions from digestive health to cholesterol management, immune system and brain health.
At the conference, leading academics from across the world will present various studies on subjects such as the effects of probiotics on pregnancy and in early life.
Graham Rook, who is a professor of medical microbiology at University College London, will connect probiotics with microbiota (also known as gut flora), gut inflammation, low stress resistance and psychiatric disorders.
Probiota looks set to attract substantial interest from experts, despite the fact the term probiotic is not recognised in Europe under its Nutrition & Health Claims Regulation. This means products, such as yoghurts and yoghurt drinks, cannot be labelled with the term.
However, the power of consumer testimonials has allowed the market to thrive in Europe, as well as across the world.
The markerts success had also been fuelled by the large amounts of research available about probiotics. In additions the European Food Safety Authority (EFSAs) refusal to approve a health claim didn’t mean there were no health benefits in a product rejected in an application.
Italy has already caused a stir in the industry by attempting to use the term probiotic as a generic descriptor and if it was successful in getting the approval to do so, the term could make a re-appearance on pots of yoghurt on sale in UK supermarkets.
Probiota will take place between February 3-5 this year at the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky in Amsterstam.