Postbiotics: enrichment for the food & beverage industry

In the world of health and wellness, a revolution is underway — transcending traditional supplements in favour of foods that incorporate ingredients that offer specific health benefits. 66 per cent of consumers now pay more attention to their dietary choices, and nearly one in four say digestive health is the most important aspect of their overall health.

Consumers now recognise the importance of the gut — and the 100 trillion microbes that live within it — as the epicentre of wellness, linked to the immune system, metabolism and even mental health. Evidence of this is the term “microbiome”, which saw a 12-fold surge in online searches between 2020 and 2023.

Seamless integration of products
While the importance of a balanced diet in achieving a healthy gut is recognised, today’s busy lifestyles have naturally led to ways in which the microbiome can be supported by supplements, creating a new product category to address this aspect of health and wellness. 56 per cent of global consumers already use nutritional supplements, according to Tetra Pak’s 2023 Index, and this trend is set to continue with the introduction of postbiotic products.

Tapping into this consumer appetite presents a prime opportunity for food and beverage manufacturers to diversify their product mix. Not least because the microorganisms in postbiotics are inanimate, providing advantages such as higher temperature resistance, humidity resistance and enhanced shelf-life stability. Consequently, postbiotics can be seamlessly integrated into various applications, including UHT products and ice cream (with ambient yogurt currently pending validation).

While probiotics have long been recognised for their benefits, postbiotics are gaining prominence, offering similar advantages with a handful of significant differences. Both postbiotics and probiotics provide health benefits to the consumer (unlike the substrate prebiotics, which provide nourishment to the existing beneficial bacteria in the gut).

A range of health concepts
Ongoing work at Tetra Pak’s research and development facilities aims to tailor blends addressing different market segments and specific health needs. We have developed a Gastro premix/Saccharomyces blend, for instance, which promotes gastrointestinal wellbeing by preventing the impact of pathogens and toxins on the gut. The Immune premix/selenium blend supports the normal function of the immune system, offering cellular protection against oxidative stress. The Metabolic premix/zinc blend proves beneficial for normal macronutrient metabolism, metabolism of fatty acids and sustaining normal carbohydrate metabolism.

Finally, the validation of an Immunomodulatory Premix/L-137 blend is underway, which contributes to digestive health and supports the immune system’s normal function, enhancing anti-inflammatory abilities. This blend also shows promise in preventing common colds and flu, underscoring the comprehensive health advantages of postbiotics.

From ice cream to cheese slices
The potential applications for products containing postbiotics are extensive, and at Tetra Pak, we are actively exploring these possibilities with our customers at our Product Development Centres. From innovative concepts like fava bean ice cream and protein tea to health-conscious offerings such as reduced sugar juices and plant-based beverages, the scope is vast and anticipation high.

The end of last year saw our first postbiotics product hit the shelves: a ‘Protein+’ cheese, in collaboration with Italian cheesemaker Inalpi. These Protein+ Slices are enriched with postbiotics, zinc, and selenium, essential elements that play a key role in maintaining health and supporting the immune system. They are also high in protein, offering 25 grams of protein per 100 grams of product, illustrating the combination of health benefits that enriched products can offer consumers.

Minimal outlay, maximum return
The ease of incorporating new ingredients into existing processes is always a key concern for manufacturers, and here, postbiotics shine.

Developed as a powder, Tetra Pak’s postbiotics ingredient is designed to be added during the mixing phase alongside other ingredients, requiring minimal capital expenditure and no specialised machinery. Incorporating postbiotics at the mixing stage, before the heat treatment, also aids compliance with local legislation and labelling requirements. This is an important difference compared to probiotics, which are more sensitive to environmental factors such as heat, killing the live cells and negating the health benefits.

Furthermore, incorporating them at the mixing stage means there is no risk of product contamination, and because the cells in question are inactive, they do not multiply and so crucially, do not affect the product’s flavour.

Taking a seat at the table
The value of the health and wellness market is poised to leap from $124.26 billion to a staggering $232.46 billion by 2030, and this is something many food and drink companies will be able to take advantage of — whether they have previous health-based products on the market or not.

Postbiotics offer an opportunity for food and drink manufacturers to be among the first in a burgeoning product category, a consideration highly valued by our customers in this fiercely competitive industry.

As the postbiotics revolution gains momentum, food and beverage companies have the chance to offer something truly worthwhile to their customers: a taste of wellbeing with every mouthful.