Puratos and Future Food Technology crown winner of Gut Health Innovation Challenge
Puratos has named Postbiotics Incorporated as the winner of its exclusive Gut Heath Innovation Challenge.
The competition is an opportunity for start-ups and scale-ups to showcase their ground-breaking food solutions that modulate the gut microbiome and highlight their impact on physical and mental well-being.
Postbiotics Inc. won the prestigious award after pitching its novel postbiotic, Pozibio, to a jury of progressive food brands, corporates and investors at the global Future Food-Tech summit on 13-14 March in San Francisco, California, USA, demonstrating its potential to revolutionise the gut health category.
Pozibio has been shown in pre-clinical models to protect the gut wall and thereby reduce systemic inflammation. According to the leader in bakery, patisserie and chocolate ingredients, researchers have already identified its mechanism of action and Postbiotics Inc. is undertaking ongoing clinical research to investigate further the health potential of the ingredient. Pozibio is heat stable and has a neutral flavour profile, meaning it is suitable for use in bakery, patisserie and chocolate products, among others.
As well as the kudos of the award itself, the win means that Postbiotics Inc. will receive senior leadership coaching in areas such as regulatory affairs and marketing, as well as prominent media and communications exposure, to increase visibility of the promising start-up. The company can also now pitch to Sparkalis, the food tech investment fund that focuses on advanced technology to create a healthier and more sustainable world.
The Gut Health Innovation Challenge forms part of Puratos’s mission to develop forward-thinking food solutions that appeal to consumers and promote health and well-being, while keeping sustainability front of mind. As part of this, Puratos invests in ongoing research and development to develop ingredients and co-create bakery, patisserie and confectionery products that support gut health. One.Bio, the winner of the 2022 Innovation Challenge, continues to collaborate with Puratos, refining its proprietary process to upcycle waste ingredients to formulate products with improved sensory properties that can positively influence gut health.
“We believe that bakery, patisserie and chocolate products can appeal to the tastebuds and the gut,” comments Dr Sara de Pelsmaeker, group health & well-being director, Puratos. “For Puratos, the future of food lies in harnessing the power of the gut microbiome to improve both physical and mental well-being, without compromising the great tastes of consumer favourites. We were excited to see the ideas from all 49 of the challenge applicants about how they can help us on our mission. Postbiotics Inc. was chosen as the winner thanks to Pozibio’s convincing science and broad application possibilities. Digestive health, and gut health more widely, are global concerns, so the ability to use the ingredient in diverse food categories is extremely appealing. It was clear to the judges that Postbiotics Inc. is a promising start-up with a bright potential future in the dynamic gut health category Now, the team can leverage our global resources and expertise to develop and refine its solution – watch this space.”
