Clasado Biosciences (‘Clasado’), a leading international biotechnology company that develops advanced prebiotic solutions for food, supplement and healthcare companies across the global wellness market, has shared its perspective on how the category will grow across the Australian and New Zealand markets.
With the wider Asia-Pacific prebiotic market expected to see a robust 15.6% compound annual growth rate according to data from intelligence firm Grand View Research, the business believes that rising trends signpost strong commercial potential for health and nutrition brands.
David Mharakurwa, Director of Sales APAC & EMEA at Clasado Biosciences, explains the region’s growth potential: “When we look at the expansive field of gut health and ‘biotics’ in particular, the Australian and New Zealand market displays a lot of intriguing potential for health and nutrition brands. We see a great deal of prebiotic opportunity, particularly as around the world, the categories of food and health get ever more closely linked.
“Findings from research body CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) found that over half of adults in Australia experience negative gut health symptoms, and the same study found that over 80% of adults are not meeting recommended fibre intakes. The fibre gap is a significant public health issue around the globe, and prebiotic dietary fibre could be key to increasing this intake. Further driving this potential, prebiotics are remarkably stable and can be used in a wide array of product applications, which makes the category an important avenue of exploration in this regard.
“For health and nutrition formulators, it’s important to understand the changes that the prebiotic market is seeing in consumer awareness. We are all getting more hands-on and proactive with matters of health and wellbeing, which is why gut health has climbed to the top of the public agenda. Consumers are understanding that beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome influence other important areas of health, and many are looking to improve health through supporting the gut. This heightened awareness looks set to propel the prebiotic category forwards at speed, and the Australian and New Zealand markets are prime examples of where the commercial potential can be found.”
Clasado’s multi award-winning galactooligosaccharide ingredient, Bimuno® GOS is available in the Australian and New Zealand markets through distributor Pathway International.
Crucially for formulators looking to meet the consumer demand for science-backed nutrition, the Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) authority has accepted 22 self-substantiated food-health relationship claims for Bimuno® GOS, which can be used on-pack for products that contain the ingredient.
David adds: “We must also consider growing awareness of how prebiotics influence health beyond digestive wellbeing. For example, studies conducted by market research firm Nielsen found that 35% of Australian prebiotic consumers recognised immune health as a key benefit of the ingredient. As we continue to amplify the key value of prebiotics, this will only grow.
“For health and nutrition brands in Australia and New Zealand, it’s clear that gut health is going to stay front of mind. Prebiotics offer one of the most effective ways to formulate new products in this category, and as the most studied ingredient of its kind, Bimuno GOS stands out.”
For more information on Clasado Biosciences and the scientific portfolio behind Bimuno GOS, please visit www.clasado.com.
