Twist & shake: Probiotics in new shelf stable format for the beverage industry

A ground-breaking alliance project involving Chr. Hansen and Fresh Beverages International makes it possible for producers of non-refrigerated beverages to add probiotics to their drinks.

For decades people all over the world have been supplementing with probiotics through their consumption of probiotic yoghurt and other products in the refrigerated dairy category containing the beneficial bacteria. However, due to insurmountable challenges with the survival of the live probiotic bacteria in beverages kept at ambient temperature, the non-refrigerated beverage category has always been non-probiotic territory. Until now.

Once imagined, now possible
“We are very pleased to be able to bring the powerful health benefits of our best-selling probiotic strain Bifidobacterium BB-12^® to an entirely new product segment,” says Chr. Hansen’s Lars Bredmose, Marketing Director, Probiotic Cultures.

“BB-12^® is one of the world’s best documented and most widely used probiotic strains. It is trusted by millions of consumers of dairy and food supplements all over the world to bring benefits in digestive and immune health - in an entirely natural form. The partnership with Fresh Beverages International offers a convenient way for beverage producers to offer probiotics in virtually any type of drink.”

Unique and patented bottle cap system
“The Shinsen^® Cap is an easy-to-use dosing cap suitable for even the most sensitive ingredients such as BB-12^® and other functional or sensitive ingredients,” says James McCormack, Managing Director, Fresh Beverages International which has more than 10 years of commercial experience producing and developing dosing caps.

The Shinsen^® Cap was designed with simplicity in mind. “Simplicity for the consumer – a simple twist & shake - and simplicity for the beverage industry - allowing for high speed production and a new, commercially viable beverage technology, thus opening the door to a new world of possibilities in functional beverages,” concludes James McCormack.

Shelf life of one year
The combination of the unique Shinsen^® Cap and a patented formulation of BB-12^® powder offers a shelf life of at least one year at ambient temperature.

“The long shelf life is key to entering this segment where distribution is independent of cooling chains and point-of-sale is outside the in-store refrigerators,” says Lars Bredmose. “We believe that this solution combines the need for probiotics with superior clinical documentation with high stability and convenience.”