KANSAS CITY — The global probiotics market was estimated at $48.38 billion in 2018 and is forecast to grow to $71.95 billion by 2025, according to market research firm Inkwood Research. While the market includes a variety of products such as dietary supplements and animal feed, the food and beverage segment is set to dominate the market in coming years.
“The global probiotics market is driven by rising demand for food and beverages with health-promoting awareness and growing awareness of probiotics among consumers,” Inkwood Research said. “The food and beverage segment is expected to lead the probiotics market, followed by dietary supplements. Yogurt is one of the highest sold products at the moment, but the demand for kefir, dark chocolate, miso soup and pickles is also on the rise.”
As consumer interest in digestive health climbs, C.P.G. companies are trusting their consumers’ guts and innovating in the probiotic product space.
New from Danone North America, Activia Probiotic Smoothies blend live and active probiotics with fruits, vegetables and seeds to create lowfat yogurt drinks. Containing no added sugars, the smoothies come in three varieties: chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, pineapple, kiwi, cucumber and ginger; flax seeds, mango, carrot, peach and turmeric; and chia seeds, strawberry, pomegranate, blueberry and beet.
Kind Healthy Snacks is homing in on gut health with its new line of breakfast bars. New Kind Breakfast Probiotics Bars contain 500 million CFU probiotic cultures per serving and are made with a blend of 100% whole grains that include oats, brown rice flour, millet, buckwheat and amaranth. The gluten-free bars contain 200 to 220 calories per two-bar serving and come in three varieties: apple cinnamon, orange cranberry and peanut butter dark chocolate.
GT’s Living Foods is launching Aqua Kefir, a new line of fermented sparkling probiotic waters cultured with ancient kefir grains. U.S.D.A.-certified organic, the beverages are sweetened with cane sugar and contain 50 calories per 16-oz bottle. The non-dairy beverages come in coconut lime, peach pineapple, pomegranate cranberry, and pear ginger varieties.
