The company, which operates a functional ingredient business in China out of its Shanghai office, has identified 1) infant nutrition 2) weight management, and 3) cognitive support as new growth engines.
At the moment, infant nutrition is the company’s main business in China, with Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum BB536 a popular probiotic strain used in infant formulas.
However, there are now further opportunities for its other proprietary probiotic ingredients designed to support infant health.
One of which is B. longum subsp. infantis M-63, which has been approved by the Chinese authorities as a new food ingredient for use in infant and children foods (under the age of three) last July.
In total, the company has three probiotic strains permitted under this system in China, namely BB536, M-63, and B. breve M-16V.
According to Morinaga, the M-63 strain, in particular, could open new growth opportunities in China because of its compatibility with human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) - a category of functional ingredients which is also approved for use in infant nutrition products by the Chinese authorities fairly recently in October 2023.
“As you know, the infant formula powder industry is highly important in China,” said Xin Yu, senior sales manager at Morinaga Milk Industry (Shanghai) told NutraIngredients at the Hi & Fi Asia-China trade show held in Shanghai last week.
“Once certain functional ingredients are permitted for use in infant formulas - such as fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS), and lactoferrin - these ingredients would gain public and industry awareness quickly.
“In the case of HMOs, people will start to find probiotic strains that are compatible with HMOs - meaning those that would feed on HMOs - which is infantis for example,” he added.
“Exceptional capability” of M-63 in utilizing HMOs
An example of a recent launch is by China dairy and infant formula firm Junlebao Dairy Group, which has launched an oil drop supplement containing M-63.
A study conducted by both Morinaga Milk Industry and Junlebao Dairy Group’s Nutrition Research Institute outlined the “exceptional capability” of M-63 in utilizing HMOs, which the authors said “set it apart from other probiotic strains.”
Writing in the journal Microorganisms, the authors explained that B. infantis uniquely contain a gene cluster that allows it to utilize HMOs.
“Traditionally, the infant-type HRB, including B. breve, B. longum, B. infantis, are commonly found in the gut of breastfed infants due to their competitive advantages in utilizing HMOs from breast milk.
“In particular, B. infantis uniquely contain a 43 kb gene cluster that encodes glycosidases and oligosaccharide transport proteins, allowing it to utilize and outgrow the other bifidobacterial species in the presence of HMOs,” said the authors.
They added that M-63 strain can produce beneficial metabolites such as folate and aromatic lactic acids like indole-3-lactic acid, contributing to the overall well-being and immune development in infants and children.
However, there is a low detection rate of B. infantis in industrialized countries.
As such, the authors said that it could be incorporated with HMOs into infant nutrition products, while further large-scale clinical trials would be able to confirm its specific benefits.
“Given the compelling evidence of the clinical benefits of M-63, which is also an efficient HMO utilizer, the incorporation of M-63 in combination with HMOs in infant and children’s formula is much anticipated,” said the authors.
Weight management bolstered by government
Weight management, a fast-rising category in China, is another new growth engine identified by Morinaga Milk.
The company is banking on its proprietary strain Bifidobacterium breve B-3 shown to exhibit weight management properties.
The strain is also approved by South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) for making body fat reduction claims .
The Chinese government designating years 2024 to 2027 as the “Years of Weight Management” has helped bolstered industry interest in this area.
“Many companies are planning weight management products and just last month, our client has launched a product known as Song Sheng Qing Mei Ren (松生轻美人) which contains B-3, and we have many projects underway too.
“The government’s advocacy on weight management has substantial influence on the industry,” Yu told NI.
The supplementation of B-3 for three months has shown to improve body weight and body mass index when compared to the placebo, according to findings published in Nutrients.
In China, one in three (34.8%) was overweight and 14.1% was obese, reported a study published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism in 2023.
The enthusiasm in weight management is also seen in China’s pharmaceutical sector.
On June 27, Suzhou-based Innovent Biologics said it has secured an approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for its obesity drug mazdutide.
This is a dual glucagon (GCG)/glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist and is approved by the Chinese authority for chronic weight management in Chinese adults with overweight or obesity.
Cognitive health for ageing population
Supporting cognitive health of seniors is the third new growth engine that the company has identified for its China probiotic ingredient business.
As such, B. breve MCC1274 clinically studied for memory function was one of the key showcase at the tradeshow.
The focus on cognitive health is due to a growing ageing population and a rising “silver economy”. Over one-fifth of the Chinese population were older than 60, reaching 297 million in year 2023, the government announced last year.
“Seniors these days have the purchasing power - more so than one to two decades ago - which is the reason why the ‘silver economy’ is seeing great attention these days.
“Also, there are more seniors who place great attention on their health,” said Yu.
He added that the gut-brain axis is better understood and accepted these days, and therefore is a potential avenue of new growth for the company.
The strain has been shown to significantly improve immediate and delayed memory in older adults aged 50 to 79 years old and suffering from mild cognitive impairment, based on a 16-week study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
In Japan, Morinaga Milk has also incorporated the strain into yogurt and capsule products.
