Last week’s big news included the UK FSA issuing guidance on CBD, a new study in the US showing many babies are deficient in Bifidobacterium, oral probiotic pioneers BLIS eyeing an expansion into China, and Bloom Nutrition launches Bloom Pop, a prebiotic soda, exclusively in Walmart.
New FSA guidance on CBD prompts product overhaul
UK CBD businesses with applications on the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) Public List are being strongly encouraged to reformulate products in line with recently lowered safety limits.
The FSA’s advice, published yesterday, requires businesses to make the necessary changes to meet the safe upper limit for THC of 0.07 mg per day and the provisional acceptable daily intake (ADI) for CBD of 10 mg per day, a reduction from 70 mg set in October 2023.
The new CBD ADI came to the dismay of the industry at the time as it signaled major reformulations would be needed. Most CBD drinks on the market, for example, contained 12.5 mg of CBD per can.
But manufacturers weren’t told to reformulate; instead the FSA advised consumers to check labels and monitor daily intake limits.
In its latest statement, the FSA said the change to guidance urging reformulation prioritizes public health.
“Allowing businesses to reformulate their products at this stage will make the authorization process more efficient, while consumers will benefit from safer CBD products on the market,” it stated.
U.S. babies lacking crucial gut bacteria
Data from the My Baby Biome study revealed that over 75% of infants in the U.S. are deficient in Bifidobacterium – bacteria once a cornerstone of U.S. infants’ microbiome.
While the cause of the deficiency was not the focus of the study, Stephanie Culler, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Persephone Biosciences, the company that conducted the study, suggested the decline of Bifidobacterium prevalence coincides with industrialization: Bifidobacterium, and B. infantis in particular, still dominates the infant microbiome in pre-industrial societies.
“Modern practices like C-section birth, poor diet, and antibiotic use all contribute to their decline,” she told NutraIngredients. “Bifidobacterium, and particularly the most relevant species for infant health, are often obtained from the mother. If the mother does not have the right species, then they will not be passed to the baby, so the decline continues from one generation to the next.”
The new study was published in Communications Biology.
“In my over 50 years as a pediatric clinician and researcher, this is one of the most insightful studies I’ve worked on,” stated Richard Insel, MD, Persephone’s Chief Medical Advisor and Research Professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry, in a press release.
“The scale and diversity of this cross-sectional study are unparalleled. The results show that disruptions in babies’ gut microbiomes are strongly linked to childhood allergic diseases and point to potential methods to prevent allergic diseases and other chronic inflammatory childhood diseases.”
BLIS Technologies to expand sales of oral probiotics in China
New Zealand oral probiotics pioneer BLIS Technologies aims to expand sales of its patented probiotic ingredients for oral health in China, a country that has low awareness of the oral health benefits of the beneficial bacteria.
“Our brand distributors, and private label and ingredient customers are working really hard to educate consumers about the benefits of oral probiotics. At the moment, the US is the biggest market for probiotics but in the next two years, China is set to take over the market share, including for oral probiotics,” Henry Sung, Global Key Account Manager at BLIS Technologies, told NutraIngredients-Asia at the recent Hi & Fi Asia-China 2025 trade show in Shanghai.
“So, we see a big opportunity in China to introduce our patented ingredients. We already have private label customers here and are selling some of our own branded products in the market. Now, we are actually focusing on promoting and selling our ingredients.
The firm’s portfolio comprises two main patented Streptococcus salivarius strains, namely BLIS K12 (Streptococcus salivarius K12) and BLIS M18 (Streptococcus salivarius M18), which are backed by over 20 years of clinical studies and published in more than 20 papers.
Bloom launches functional soda line at Walmart
Austin, Texas-based Bloom Nutrition is now selling Bloom Pop, a prebiotic soda, exclusively at Walmart stores nationwide.
“While many functional sodas rely on high doses of fiber that can be hard to digest and offer limited benefits, Bloom Pop is formulated with PreticX XOS, a cutting-edge, patented prebiotic that’s highly effective in small amounts,” Greg LaVecchia, CEO and co-founder of Bloom Nutrition, told NutraIngredients. “This means Bloom Pop supports digestion and metabolism without the common side effects like bloating or gas—making it both effective and enjoyable.”
Bloom Pop was initially launched at the Expo West 2025 trade show. The company showcased five flavors, which now appear on Walmart shelves, including Shirley Temple, Raspberry Lemon and Orange. Bloom partnered with Nutrabolt for product development.
“Our partnership with Bloom is focused on driving beverage innovation and bringing [co-founder Mari Llewellyn] and Greg’s vision to life,” Doss Cunningham, chairman and CEO of Nutrabolt, said in March. “Bloom Pop is a prime example of what we can accomplish together and further solidifies Bloom’s leadership in the beverage category.”
For the 54 weeks preceding June 15, SPINS data show total sales were over $991 million for prebiotic soda.
According to Future Market Insights, prebiotic soda market sales are likely to grow with a 7.6% CAGR between 2025 to 2035.
