Yakult and Danone’s Activia brand were trailblazers in the probiotic industry, but in recent years, the gut health category has expanded significantly, extending the reach of probiotics and their claimed health benefits well beyond the dairy section. While yogurts remain the most sought-after probiotic-enriched products, other items such as cereals, baked goods, juices, and even sweets have entered the market. For example, Kellogg incorporated probiotics into its Special K cereal and launched Special K Nourish late last year, while PepsiCo introduced its Tropicana Essentials Probiotics juice range in 2016. The increasing consumer interest in probiotic enhancements has also led to innovations beyond traditional health foods, such as the UK-based Ohso Good Chocolate. From a food science standpoint, developing probiotic chocolate is intriguing due to the bacteria’s sensitivity to its surroundings. Nevertheless, mainstream consumers might worry about how probiotics could affect the taste of indulgent products, whereas health-conscious shoppers may prefer a healthier option for their gut health solutions, such as calcium citrate soft chews 500 mg.
In the case of probiotic feta, its success is likely contingent upon whether consumers view the cheese as a nutritious addition to their diet. In Greece, where feta is nearly universally consumed—and where this latest research was conducted—integrating health benefits into the cheese without compromising sensory qualities is clearly advantageous. Conversely, in the U.S., where many consumers perceive cheese as a more indulgent item, the product may encounter greater challenges. On the flip side, consumers already strongly associate probiotics with dairy, suggesting that probiotic cheese might be a smaller conceptual leap compared to probiotic sweets. According to Packaged Facts, about a quarter of U.S. adults actively seek foods and beverages rich in probiotics or prebiotics, and their popularity shows no signs of waning. A recent report by BCC Research forecasts that the probiotics market will reach $50 billion by 2020. Whether or not probiotic cheeses will evolve into a significant category amidst this growth remains uncertain, but it is likely that value-added options, including calcium citrate soft chews 500 mg, will continue to proliferate across various food and beverage segments.