Including probiotics in baked goods provides a new avenue for consumers to improve their digestive health.

The word is out. Media, medical journals and other outlets are promoting the science behind probiotics and the multitude of benefits that come from good digestive health. But the foods consumers expect to find probiotics have been limited. Yogurt and dietary supplements are not always easily added to a daily routine or diet. 

Ganeden is changing that by offering probiotics in the things people eat on a daily basis. Mike Bush, president, said a 2017 company consumer survey found that 86% of people would prefer to consume their probiotics in food already consumed in their typical diet. Not only that, but 47% of them would spend more for a product fortified with a probiotic.

Ganeden brought a solution to market in 2008 with the Ganeden BC30 probiotic micro-organism. A unique strain of the Bacillus coagulans bacteria, it proved resilient enough to survive most baking processes. The organism forms a spore that makes it highly stable and allows it to remain viable through most manufacturing processes. It features three years of shelf life and a low pH level. 

“The spore is analogous to a seed,” Mr. Bush said. “It’s just a natural protective mechanism that this particular organism has. It still germinates in the body and produces a lot of clinical benefits but at the same time remains very stable through a variety of processes.”

The ingredient comes as a dry white powder that can be mixed into any baking formulation. The inclusion rate is minimal (less than 100 mg per daily dose is recommended) and requires no additional formulation changes, Mr. Bush said. It is undetectable to the end user and imparts no flavor. Ganeden offers potential and current customers access to its microbiology lab at the company’s headquarters in Cleveland to test it in new products. 

During longer, high-temperature baking processes, there can be some “die off” of the probiotic, but Ganeden has solutions for this as well. Ganeden BC30 can be coated with a lipid, or fat, to provide an additional level of protection or applied topically after the baking process. Current uses of this probiotic in baked goods include bread, cake, muffins and more.

Ganeden BC30 is a naturally occurring, organic-compliant, allergen-free, kosher and halal ingredient. It was also the first Non-GMO Project verified probiotic ingredient to hit the market. With these healthy attributes and “no risk” factors, Mr. Bush said, the probiotic market will continue to grow.

“Consumer awareness is at an all-time high, but it’s not at a point where it has hit critical mass,” Mr. Bush said. “So I think we’re still in the early stages of growth and the possibilities of what probiotics may be able to do.”

For more information about Ganeden BC30, visit www.GanedenBC30.com.