There is a lot of talk surrounding probiotics owing to its association with the term bacteria. Anything remotely connected to bacteria is harmful, is a general perception. Probiotics, however, defy this perception. Probiotics are especially ‘good bacteria’ the ones that are beneficial to the human body. Not all aware, but there lies an entirely proactive, flourishing colony of bacteria in our body. The total number of bacteria cells in our body outnumbers human cells.
Probiotics are essentially supplementary bacteria, intake of which can boost healthy body functions, immunity balancing or contain adverse health conditions. Research and development are discovering new avenues for probiotic usage.
“Probiotics advantages- They get extensive with each passing day”
As it turns out, plenty of reasons are available to use probiotics. The primary of them is gut health. Now, gut health is the primary influencing factor to maintain overall good health. Probiotics ensure proper functioning of the bowels. They help to eliminate constipation and diarrhea. They assist in freeing amino acids for proper digestion. They act as buffers against foreign contaminants as in the case of food poisoning. The list gets extensive as R&D advents pour in day in and day out. All thanks to the focus and attention given to these activities, by both major industry participants and premium research institutes
“Unchartered Territories Beckon”
Hugely unchartered territories of Africa and Asia Pacific pose challenging yet lucrative opportunities to Market players. The discovery of probiotics that can be added to food products for extending shelf life is proving beneficial in these regions. Probiotics are bound to provide easy access to nutrition. Focus on marketing and distribution channels are bound to be Key success factors. Lack of awareness regarding probiotics a major hindrance in these regions.
“Overcrowding leads to Chaos”
Companies manufacturing probiotics are facing many problems. There also lies a certain ambiguity regarding probiotic health effects. Companies try to limit the strains contained in their products. In some cases, it has been found out that certain strains interact with other strains and try to eliminate them. Companies seek to keep this interaction to a minimum in their products. However, there is no particular rule to decide how much is many.
“Shirota-ism one of the many guiding factors for companies”
Yakult Honsha, a major industry participant in the probiotics industry, conducts all its actions in line with the Shirota-ism principles. Preventive medicine, affordable price for all and healthy intestinal tract form the three pillars of the principle. Chr Hansen another major player, in their company objectives clearly state that they want to meet the growing demand for nutritional food across the globe as well as create solutions that would benefit the society in the future. Nestle has a global compliance policy and also follows it in regions where the laws are comparatively lenient. One thing is common among major market players, with a firm focus on R&D activities, they have their eyes set on untapped markets.
In-depth report on global probiotics market by Grand View Research: