Last month, our team attended Probiota Americas 2023 to present mine & Kylie’s research on leaky gut, obesity, and healthy aging at the Scientific Frontiers session. Probiota Americas is among the most highly anticipated probiotics and gut health conferences. The conference brings together leading experts, researchers, and industry professionals. The event was held in Chicago, IL, from June 13-15, bringing together attendees from around the world.
Cutting-edge Research and Business Insight
The conference featured an impressive lineup of speakers who covered topics from the latest research to the business of probiotics. Discussions were had on the impact of the gut microbiome on mental health and the potential use of probiotics in personalized medicine. The presentations were thought-provoking and offered glimpses into the future of healthcare.
At the kick-off for Probiota, CEOs from some of the leading dietary supplement brands discuss the industry's current state, regulatory matters, women in leadership, building trust with consumers, and the industry's future. Jim Emme, CEO of Now Foods, provided an industry veteran’s view on these hot-button issues.
Morinaga's Chyn Boon Wong shed light on the remarkable health advantages offered by metabolites from probiotic strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, especially on the gut-skin and gut-brain axes. She highlighted the exceptional qualities of Morinaga’s LAC-Shield to empower the maintenance of optimal well-being amidst the constant changes experienced in our environment.
Stephen Daniells, Ph.D., led another excellent panel discussion focused on postbiotics with Aubrey Levitt at Postbiotics Plus Research, Dr. Gabriel Vinderola at National University of Litoral & CONICET, Jordi Riera at Kaneka Probiotics, and Adam Hertell at EpiCor by Cargill. The general public is becoming more aware of the term ‘postbiotic,’ attracting top-tier brands to this new ingredient space. However, the absence of consensus regarding the definition of a postbiotic ingredient poses a challenge. Despite these uncertainties, the postbiotics market is growing rapidly due to the lighter regulatory burden for these ingredients.
Dr. Andrew K. Benson, Director of the Nebraska Food for Health Center, discussed the focal point of his research. His work employs quantitative genetics to explore the realms of food safety and investigate the intricacies of the human gut microbiome. He shed light on the intriguing correlation between genetic diversity among food crop species and the profound impacts it can have on the human gut microbiome.
Solange Henoud, Vice President Regulatory & Compliance with Lallemand, Dr. Corey Hilmas, Chief Regulatory Officer at KGK Science, Dr. Brian McNeill, Scientific Evaluator at Gov of Canada, Leslie Tompkins Steen, Ph.D., DABT, Toxicologist with FDA, and Ivan Wasserman, Managing Partner
Another highlight of the conference was the panel discussion on the business of probiotics. The panelists, all experienced industry professionals, discussed the challenges and opportunities facing the probiotic market. They also shared their insights on how to develop and market successful probiotic products.
One of the notable studies presented at Probiota Americas 2023 explored the role of probiotics in treating antibiotic-associated diarrhea. This research demonstrated promising results, suggesting that specific strains of probiotics can effectively prevent and manage this common and uncomfortable side effect of antibiotic treatments.
Bill Bookout, BS, MBA, President of the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) and Founder and Chairman of the National Animal Supplement Council, shed light on the evolving ingredient market for pet care during his talk. He highlighted the increasing demand for animal supplements and the key areas of interest, such as products for aging pets, ingredients for calming effects, and support for the immune system. Dr. Bookout emphasized the importance of making sure the term "GRAS" (Generally Recognized as Safe) is used in a species-specific manner. He also emphasized the need to update nutrition labeling for pet foods.
Here are some of the key takeaways from the event:
The gut-brain axis is an important system that is heavily influenced by the microbiome. Probiotics have the potential to modulate the gut-brain axis and improve mental health.
Probiotics can play a role in supporting immunity by regulating the immune system and protecting against infections.
The future of probiotics is bright. There is a growing body of research on the health benefits of probiotics, and the market for probiotic products is expanding.
If you are interested in learning more about this segment of the health and wellness industry, we highly recommend attending Probiota Americas next year. It's a great opportunity to learn from industry experts, network with other professionals, and stay up-to-date on the latest research and trends in this exciting field. Thanks to NutraIngredients for doing a phenomenal job of hosting the event, to Stephen Daniells for being an amazing moderator, and to the generous sponsors supporting the event.
