Gut as core: Danone advances health span, early life nutrition in new China lab
Danone has opened a new research and innovation center in Shanghai on November 2.
One of its main features is the 900 m² Danone OneBiome Lab dedicated to microbiome research. This is also the company’s third OneBiome Lab, with the other two already opened in Paris-Saclay and Singapore.
Isabelle Esser, chief research, innovation, quality and food safety officer, told NutraIngredients that Danone was especially interested in integrating its understanding of the gut microbiome with nutritional solutions for healthy longevity, health span and early life, which the new center was designed to achieve.
eimele leverages KOLs to grow reach across APAC, eyes expansion in US, Europe
Australian plant-based nutrition brand eimele has launched a new app to enhance collaboration with content creators, as part of its ambition to expand its footprint across Asia-Pacific and beyond.
The eimele 2.0 initiative is not just an upgrade of products, but rather building a closed-loop brand management ecosystem, encompassing R&D, production, sales, and service, said Frank He, founder and CEO of Access Corporate Group.
“The core of eimele 2.0 is to integrate overseas creators and influencers who share plant-based nutrition, health, and lifestyle information into our brand’s co-creation ecosystem. Therefore, it is a crucial step in popularizing eimele’s plant-based nutrition,” He told NI.
Shiseido launches BFW drink-jelly product combi following positive survey feedback
Japanese cosmetics major Shiseido has launched a beauty-from-within product set, consisting of its bestselling functional drink and a newly launched jelly stick, following positive consumer feedback for this supplementation combination.
A survey conducted by Shiseido in December 2025 involving 207 women aged between 20 and 59 found that supplement drinks are most often consumed “before special occasions or for intensive care”, while jellies are most frequently eaten “as part of a daily beauty routine”.
Pregnancy nutrition: Aussie start-up designs oral-melt powder to improve user experience
Tablets and capsules are common dosage formats for health supplements. Still, depending on life stage and needs, dosage formats may need to evolve to improve user experience and compliance, and Australian start-up H.E.R Code has embarked on that journey, starting by addressing the needs of pregnant women.
Founded by Dianne Ly and Jessica Simonis, who are also the CEO and chief scientific officer, respectively, H.E.R Code launched its first product, H.E.R. Code Prenatal + Postnatal, an oral-melt powder developed based on personal experience and feedback from healthcare practitioners.
Dongkoo Bio&Pharma targets underserved hearing care category as growth engine
South Korean firm Dongkoo Bio&Pharma is targeting the unmet needs of its local hearing health market, which it has mapped out as a new engine for growth.
The company announced that it has made a strategic investment in Invivotec Inc, a South Korea-based biohealth firm focused on new drug development and natural functional ingredients.
Under the newly inked agreement, both companies will jointly pursue approval of ingredients as individually recognized functional ingredients by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS).
