Hot Right Now: Probiotics for constipation, SG’s lab grown breast milk, and Nestle China’s FSMPs trending on social media
Probiotics with magnesium oxide found effective in managing constipation in children – BioGaia study
A double-blind, randomised clinical trial has shown that the supplementation of probiotics with the laxative magnesium oxide is effective in managing constipation in young children.
Findings of the trial which was conducted in Japanese young children, were published in the scientific journal Nutrients.
The probiotic used for the trial is lactobacillus reuteriDSM 17938 and was supplied by Swedish probiotic firm BioGaia.
Lab-grown breast milk: Singapore’s TurtleTree Labs expects to launch products in 2021
A Singapore start-up is aiming to launch lab-grown breast milk by 2021 and is seeking to work with major formula brands to deliver the “closest thing to real mothers’ breast milk”.
TurtleTree Labs’ technology utilises stem cells from volunteers, which are then used to create mammary glands that can lactate. The firm also uses the same technology to produce cow’s milk, as reported by FoodNavigator-Asia.
“Currently the majority of our volunteers are from Singapore. We are lucky that the diverse population provides us with a wide variety of milk,” said the firm’s chief strategy officer Max Rye.
Asmara to launch new synbiotic powders after success of multi-cultural functional beverages
Asmara, a Singapore brand owned by F&B consultancy company NU3x, will be launching six functional powders in the first quarter of 2020, following success from its range of health beverages.
Asmara currently has four functional drinks which were launched in April 2018 with functionalities including immunity, digestion, cognition, and anti-ageing.
The brand is known to combine different culture’s traditional medicinal practices like Ayurveda, TCM, and Jamu with Western scientific research to produce their functional beverages.
Combating cow’s milk protein allergy: Nestlé Health Science China introduces two new FSMPs brands
Two of Nestlé Health Science China’s infant nutrition products for youngsters with cow’s milk allergies have obtained Food for Special Medical Purposes (FSMPs) status in the country.
The two products sold under the brand Althéra and Alfaré are extensively hydrolysed formulas (eHFs) meant for infants with Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA).
The two eHFs are a modification from products previously present in the Chinese market in accordance with China’s national standards to better meet the nutritional needs of Chinese babies with CMPA and to meet FSMP registration criteria.
Babies and probiotics: Bill Gates-backed probiotic firm to embark on research in Singapore, Hong Kong
Evolve BioSystems, the US-based microbiome firm supported by big name investors Bill Gates and Li Ka Shing, will soon embark on local research in the APAC region, namely Singapore and Hong Kong.
The company’s flagship product, Evivo – a B. infantis EVC001 probiotic for infants – is already available for sale in the two countries via its Evivo web store since last May.
In Singapore, the company has recently signed an agreement with the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS) to find out the prevalence of B. infantis in the Singapore population.
