TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd. (TOKYO:2264), the second-largest dairy product company in Japan, announced today that it has completely eliminated gluten from its flagship product, the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium longum Morinaga BB536.
On August 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final
rule defining “gluten-free” for food labeling. The regulation stipulates
that for an ingredient or finished product to be labeled “gluten-free,”
it must contain less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. In order
to meet market demand for a 100% gluten-free product, Morinaga has now
taken the extra step of completely removing all gluten from BB536,
thereby surpassing FDA standards.
The new gluten-free version will
be introduced at the SupplySide West Global Expo and Conference this
October.
“BB536 has been used and trusted by consumers worldwide for more than 30 years,” stated Ko Shiino, General Manager of Morinaga’s International Department. “We are pleased to be able to offer a new, completely gluten-free formulation of this classic probiotic to the marketplace, which will further enhance its value to even the most demanding consumers.”
BB536 is a human residential bifidobacteria (HRB) developed by Morinaga that has numerous benefits for human health. More than 50 human studies show that BB536 provides a natural defense against episodic digestive and abdominal discomforts, including constipation, diarrhea, gas, and bloating. It also improves the ratio of beneficial to harmful bacteria in the body and decreases ammonia and putrefactive products in the digestive tract.
BB536 is manufactured through a unique culturing method that gives it excellent stability, allowing it to be utilized in a wide range of applications, including supplements and functional foods, and in a variety of delivery forms, including capsules, sachets, oils, tablets, powders, chocolates, protein powders, and infant formulas.
Manufacturing BB536 without gluten is just one in a series of improvements Morinaga has undertaken over the past three decades to make the ingredient as market-friendly as possible. “We continually strive to add value to our flagship probiotic strain, whether that’s investing in new clinical research, achieving GRAS certification, or addressing the evolving needs of our consumers, which is our utmost priority,” Shiino explained.
Morinaga also provides technical support for clients who plan to use the company’s probiotics in their products. Morinaga’s technical staff is available to provide raw material handling advice, aid in the development of strain-stable finished products, and help navigate the regulatory maze of various countries to successfully launch new products.
About Morinaga
Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd. is Japan’s second-largest dairy
products company. Founded in 1917, Morinaga exhibits excellence in the
field of technology and sells not only dairy products but also
beneficial functional ingredients isolated from milk. Morinaga has
researched and developed several human residential bifidobacteria (HRB).
In
addition to Bifidobacterium longum BB536, the company has also
developed Bifidobacterium breve M-16V, a strain clinically
documented to support the health of infants (including low-birth-weight
infants), and a recently launched strain, Bifidobacterium breve B-3
which is currently researched for its potential in healthy weight
management.
Please visit our booth at #3770 at SupplySide West, Las Vegas (October 7-8, 2015)
