Leatherhead proposes pre- and probiotic collaboration
collaboration to identify end markets where use of prebiotics and
probiotics are likely to offer growth opportunities for the future.
Probiotics are one of the main drivers of the European functional foods market, which Leatherhead estimates was worth some US$16.1bn in 2005; in the US, by contrast, interest is a stage behind - although it is starting to be piqued. The company says that whilst the retail market for probiotic-containing products - and for prebiotics, which stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut - is well documented, there is a dearth of information about how the food and drink industry is actually using these ingredients. It believes the time is right to take a closer look at such usage - especially since probiotics are starting to break out of their traditional home in dairy products and into other applications like drinks, butters and ice-creams. Moreover, although the probiotic market is presently dominated by oligosaccharide, "there are a variety of ingredients that show probiotic potential." "The choice of prebiotics is therefore likely to grown," it predicts. The broad aims are two-fold: to determine current and future rends in demand for pre- and probiotics in key Western European markets (namely the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy); and identification of the types of pre- and probiotics currently available and their key application areas. Leatherhead is inviting companies to subscribe to collaborative market research. The research will consist of two elements: desk research and primary industrial market research. The second element will involve up to 50 interviews with key pre- and probiotic suppliers. Moreover, subscribers will have the opportunity to have their own confidential question included. For more information on the collaboration, please contact Ian Scholan at Leatherhead Food International.
