Across the globe, consumers continue to seek more nutritional foods, beverages and supplements in order to improve their digestive health, according to a report by DuPont Nutrition & Health, Reigate, United Kingdom. As a result, digestive health is the largest segment of the functional foods market in Europe, Japan and South America, and it is on its way to becoming the largest functional segment in the United States as well, the report states.
For the fourth consecutive year, digestive health is the top trend in the health and nutrition segment, said Gregory Leyer, global business development director of consumer healthcare for Danisco, now a part of Wilmington, Del.-based DuPont, during the Pre & Probiotics 2012 Virtual Conference on Feb. 1.
Chr. Hansen showcased a probiotic with clinically documented immune health benefits for juice drinks and introduced a new range of natural colors. After months of research and development, Chr. Hansen launched L. Casei 431 Juice, a probiotic developed to survive in low-pH environments, such as chilled juice and juice drinks.