EU still ‘anti’ probiotics
Yet 2015 was another year of uncertainty for probiotics.
Ewa Hudson, Euromonitor International’s global head of health and wellness research, said this stuck out for her as the most important health claim happening (or un-happening) of the year.
“Probiotic rejections are still in the spotlight, as we know, which has had a negative impact on the sales of probiotic yoghurt in Europe. We are hoping 2016 will be more favourable and we’ll once again get to see probiotics on European labels,” she told us.
Peter Wennstrom, founder and consultant of the HealthyMarketingTeam, agreed.
"The most significant news on the health claims front is that there is still no recognition of probiotics. Given that probiotics and the microbiota is the foundation for our health and the very centre of our nutritional system it of course means that there is still no recognition of Nutrition as opposed to Pharma by EFSA who are imposing Pharma standards on the nutrition industry."
Meanwhile in non-EU member state Switzerland there was better luck. In September Yakult was granted a Swiss digestive claim - joining fellow probiotic giants Danone and DuPont.
Luca Bucchini, managing director at Hylobates Consulting, said there had been no strong applications for probiotic claims this year.
So what can we expect from 2016? We know already at least that 2016 will bring a response to Swedish company Probi's application for a probiotic iron adsorption claim.