Swedish functional foods company Semper has launched a nutritional beverage using a novel probiotic delivery system on the Nordic market.

The drink, introduced under the Addera brand name, is the second product this year to use the patented LifeTop straw, developed by probiotics company BioGaia, which comes attached to the Addera carton and releases the beneficial lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus reuteri to the consumer upon consumption.

"Administration of Reuteri with the help of a straw as part of a nutritional treatment regimen is a safe and practical way to take probiotics," said Karin Bodén, product manager at Semper.

Semper's nutritional beverage, a lemon and elderberry-flavoured drink, is intended for patients with a poor appetite, insufficient nutrient uptake or malnutrition. It is fortified with both vitamins and minerals, and is available in pharmacies and food service wholesalers.

The LifeTop straw was first used by UK firm Farm Produce Marketing on drinkable yoghurt products launched in June this year. The products are sold by leading UK retailer Tesco.

"Semper's launch will enable us to reach the Nordic healthcare sector, and nutritional beverages are an interesting and expanding market," said Peter Rothschild, managing director of Sweden-based BioGaia, which specialises in researching, developing and manufacturing probiotic systems.

Around 80 per cent of the body's immune defence is concentrated in the gastrointestinal tract, according to the Swedish team. Reuteri inhibits the growth of harmful micro-organisms and has a positive effect on the normal and healthy gut flora.