Digestive health developments – report

Key takeaways: 

• There's a significant gap between consumers appreciating the importance of gut health and those taking supplements to support it. 
• Supplement manufacturers and protein powder brands are are inreasingly interested in adding upcycled prebiotics to their products to support health and sustainability claims.
• Gummy formats are trending at the top of the vitamin supplement markets, but it's not as easy to formulate probiotics in the same way. Introducing active probiotics in a gummy can result in off-flavours that are difficult to mask. 
• There have been almost 400 health claim applications submitted to EFSA for authorisation, out of which just one claim on lactose digestion was given clearance. Others have been rejected due to EFSA assessment uncertainty.