Food and beverage companies developing next-generation products and services that target the microbiome must look ‘beyond the product’, and have an inclusive understanding of technical, commercial, and regulatory factors. 

This is the view of experts at Sagentia Innovation, a consultancy that works with leading food and beverage businesses and technology start-ups in the sector.

They say access to microbiome-based diagnostics coupled with microbiome products and interventions designed to act on those diagnostics may improve people’s health. However, while there is much potential for food and beverage innovation in this space, data surrounding specific microbiome biomarkers remains inconsistent. Innovation strategies must consider technical feasibility and commercial viability as well as regulatory matters.

To help companies cut through the hype and make well-informed strategic decisions, Sagentia Innovation recently published a whitepaper focused on the microbiome. It summarises current evidence of links between the microbiome and common health conditions, offering a pragmatic view on the potential for microbiome-based innovation.

Dr Tatiana Sergeenko, Principal Technology and Innovation Consultant at Sagentia Innovation, authored the paper. She says the personalisation aspect of innovative food and beverage propositions that target the microbiome can be daunting for the industry and therefore require a holistic technical and strategic approach.

“There are so many challenges to overcome,” she explains. “Companies will need to prove that certain microbiome interventions make a positive difference as well as offering personalised products at scale in a commercially viable way. None of this is easy, but the global probiotic market alone is already valued at $50billion1 and there is great interest in solutions that use an understanding of gut microbiome to unlock better health. Companies that can overcome the hurdles and drive meaningful progress have much to gain.”

The whitepaper Microbiome: an emerging integral part of precision medicine and personalised lifestyle changes is available to download free of charge here.