Probiotics are friendly microbes that safely enhance nutritional value in dairy products.

Consumer interest in the healthfulness of the foods they eat has been growing for some time. Moreover, there is evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has only ramped up consumer interest in foods that deliver health benefits.

Higher diversity is the hallmark of a healthy gut microbiome. 

When it comes to probiotics and prebiotics, you could say today’s consumers are very pro. In fact, according to a 2020 report from Hyderabad, India-based Mordor Intelligence titled “Probiotics Market — Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact and Forecasts (2021-2026),” the global probiotic market is expected to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.08% during the forecast period of 2020-2025.

Looking at the top 10 list of health positioning for new yogurt products worldwide over the last two years (based on a report from Innova Market Insights), it is a bit surprising that “no-/low-/reduced-fat” tops the list, with “high source of protein” coming in a close second.

Today’s health-conscious shoppers want to know more about the ingredients that they consume. Are they natural? Are they sustainable? What health benefits do they provide?

While Today’s Dietitian listed “Probiotic Push” as one of the hot nutrition trends for 2016, their synergistic partners, prebiotics, have not gained as much traction with either consumers or health professionals.