Taking place in Nante in the West Coast of France in June, the conference is a platform for ingredient manufacturers to learn more about the different aspects behind the use of probiotics' industrial application, including scientific regulations and technical issues.
A spokesperson for the company stated, "After talking about translation of basic science advances into clinical studies and potentially new applications, the conference will now focus on the technical issues the industry is actually facing to include this high added-value ingredient into marketable products".
Probiotics are bacteria found in the gut that are understood to have health benefits. Prebiotics are ingredients that stimulate growth of probiotics in the gut.
Probiotic and prebiotic products have, until now, mainly been used for food and pharmaceutical applications. But they are also beginning to grab the attention of cosmetic manufacturers looking to tap the trend towards nutraceutical and cosmeceutical products
Workshops during the conference include 'probiotics for skin protection' and 'new probiotic application for the personal care industry: development in oral care for caries prevention'.
The workshops will further inform cosmetic manufacturers about how probiotic and prebiotic science has developed over the last decade and how it could now play a crucial role in products aimed at enhancing consumer well-being and appearance.
However, the concern is that consumers who are not 'streetwise' may be missing out on the scientific health benefits of the bacteria.
Lisa Miles, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, said products containing probiotics, or 'healthy bacteria', attract most interest from consumers who pay close attention to health matters.
Moreover, the relatively high cost means that that they tend to appeal to the "healthy wealthy". An indication that it may be time to tweak the marketing platform or price ballpark to open up a new sector of the market and to accommodate to the less aware consumer.
The conference, held in June, also aims to give manufacturers the chance to learn how to channel the marketing of the ingredients correctly, steering away from the growing trend that sees new ingredients often entering the market at the premium-end.
The ingredients are then adopted by the pioneering consumer segment that wants to be the first to try out new concepts, before then trickling down gradually to the mass market.
"The personal care and cosmetics industry want to add probiotics to their products but the confusion in health benefit claims and the evolution of the EC regulation makes them reconsider their strategic development, " said the spokesperson.
