Last week’s big news included the IPA’s adoption of ISAPP’s definition of prebiotics, Pharmavite’s ribbon cutting at its state-of-the-art $250 million gummy production facility, and Cambodia moving towards prenatal multivitamin-mineral supplement recommendations.
IPA adopts ISAPP’s prebiotic definition
In a move heralded as “a strategic commitment to clarity, integrity and progress in the prebiotic space,” the International Probiotics Association (IPA) formally adopted the 2017 prebiotic definition published by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP).
The term prebiotic was coined and defined by Dr. Glenn Gibson and Dr. Marcel Roberfroid in 1995. A 2017 update, led by Dr. Gibson and his collaborators at ISAPP, defined a prebiotic as: “A substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit.”
In 2023, IPA expanded its scope beyond probiotics to include prebiotics, postbiotics and synbiotics. “This decision signifies IPA’s commitment to advancing scientific clarity, regulatory alignment and commercial harmonization across the prebiotic field,” the organization stated in a press release.
“Alignment with the ISAPP prebiotic definition will enhance consistency in how prebiotics are understood, communicated and developed across sectors,” said George Paraskevakos, executive director at IPA.
Marla Cunningham, ISAPP’s executive director, welcomed the announcement, stating: “A common understanding of the term ‘prebiotic’ is critical for advancing scientific research, developing effective and evidence-based products and ultimately making it easier for consumers to access the health benefits that prebiotics can provide.”
Pharmavite unveils new $250 million gummy production facility
The maker of Nature Made vitamins recently unveiled its state-of-the-art $250 million gummy production facility in New Albany, Ohio.
The massive investment, part of the company’s remarkable 90% growth since 2019, promises to produce billions of gummies annually while creating 225 new jobs.
“A lot of that growth is attributed to our gummies business,” said Jeff Boutelle, CEO at Pharmavite. “We make soft gels, we make tablets as well. And about four years ago, we ran out of capacity with our gummy manufacturing, so we started to evaluate how to expand our capacity.”
The 225,000-square-foot facility has one gummy manufacturing line, but as Boutelle pointed out, the 54-year-old company is just getting started:
“The facility is built such that we can add a second gummy line as the business evolves. This one gummy line will be producing three billion gummies per year, and again, if we add a second line, that’ll be six billion gummies per year coming out of this plant right here in Central Ohio.”
Cambodia moves towards prenatal multivitamin-mineral supplement recommendations
A recent large clinical trial conducted across 48 health centers in Cambodia showed that multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) are superior to just iron and folic acid (IFA) supplements for pregnant women. The findings strongly support the country’s Ministry of Health’s plans to transition to MMS to improve maternal and child health outcomes.
The trial, which was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, defined MMS as containing iron, folic acid and 13 other essential vitamins and minerals.
The data revealed that adherence to MMS was superior to IFA, with fewer reported side effects and overwhelming user acceptance.
The researchers concluded: “Our findings suggest that the high adherence rates and acceptability of MMS support the transition from IFA to MMS in Cambodia. Next steps should include an MMS supply chain assessment and development of optimal delivery strategies for timely distribution. Our study results provide important considerations and lessons learned for stakeholders in Cambodia and other countries considering a transition from IFA to MMS.”
