Considerations from strain selection to geo regulatory status could affect go-to-market strategies.

Heather Granato, VP, Partnerships & Sustainability

October 9, 2018

Probiotics have been one of the consistent growth categories across the natural products space, with product introductions in the supplement, food, beverage and even personal care categories. However, even as researchers are exploring the health benefits of specific strains, inconsistencies in regulatory approaches could hamper product introductions or line extensions—particularly into new geographies. In the lead-in to SupplySide West, Heather Granato, vice president of content, spoke with George Paraskevakos, executive director, International Probiotics Association (IPA, internationalprobiotics.org), about the market opportunities and challenges, as well as what SupplySide West attendees can learn at this year’s Probiotics Workshop and in the IPA Probiotics Resource Center.

Key points of this podcast include:

  • The types of health benefits being substantiated by clinical research, and the ways those studies can be used in effective consumer communication

  • The regulatory conundrum that marketers face when trying to extend product lines into new geos, and the work being done by IPA and other firms to even the playing field

  • Steps being taken by IPA to educate the market, both through its own educational efforts and outreach at SupplySide West

Links and Resources:

  • Interested in the key considerations before developing a probiotic product? Join IPA at the “Probiotic Product Development: A Need-to-Know Guide Before Taking that First Step” workshop at SupplySide West. The workshop is produced with the support of IPA and underwritten by Deerland Probiotics & Enzymes, DuPont, Lallemand, Morinaga, Probi and Sabinsa. 

  • Consumer interest in probiotics has been energized through scientific research around the microbiome. The “Probiotics: Masters of the microbiome” digital magazine covers issues including synbiotics, immunobiotics, strain suitability and formulation considerations. 

  • The IPA Probiotics Resource Center at SupplySide West, sponsored by Nutrasource Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical services, includes theater presentations and product showcases, as well as ingredient and product demos from category leaders. 

About the Author(s)

Heather Granato

VP, Partnerships & Sustainability, Informa Markets, Food EMEA division

Heather Granato is a 30-year veteran of the natural products industry, currently serving as vice president, partnerships & sustainability, in the Food EMEA division of Informa Markets. She is based in London, and leads efforts related to industry partnerships and broader sustainability initiatives for the Vitafoods and Food ingredients brands. She has been a presenter at events including SupplySide, Vitafoods, Food ingredients, Natural Products Expo, the Natural Gourmet Show and the Folio: Show. Her publishing experience includes Natural Products Insider, Food Product Design, Vitafoods Insights, Country Living's Healthy Living, Natural Foods Merchandiser, Delicious Magazine and WomenOf.com. Granato serves as the founding president of Women In Nutraceuticals, a global non-profit founded in 2022 focused on empowering women in the nutraceutical industry; she is also on the board of directors for the Organic & Natural Health Association. From 2016 to 2022, she was a vice president on the national governing board of Kappa Alpha Theta women’s fraternity. Granato was named to the FOLIO: 100 list of top media professionals in 2018, and was selected as a 2015 Top Woman in Media by FOLIO:. She received the 2014 Visionary Award and the 2018 Journalistic Excellence Award from the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA); and was honored with the CEO Merit Award for Content from Virgo in 2014. Granato graduated magna cum laude from the University of Richmond, Virginia, in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

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