GIS and AnaBio Technologies jointly present the world's first launch of a long-lasting probiotic yogurt, a breakthrough for probiotic drinks and aseptic packaging. This development creates a new product category; probiotic drinks packaged in aseptic cartons and pouches that are stable over extended periods of storage without refrigeration.
Until now it has not been possible to incorporate probiotics into aseptic beverage packaging due to their inability to survive the usual heat treatments used in processing. Probiotics can also be unstable during storage, typically restricting their use to refrigerated beverages with a short shelf life.
The combination of AnaBio's encapsulation technology and SIG's soft aseptic filling technology overcomes these restrictions, allowing food and beverage companies to produce probiotic beverages containing live probiotics that are packaged in carton packs and spout pouches and They can be kept at room temperature for long periods without refrigeration.
Sinéad Bleiel, founder of AnaBio Technologies: “Our innovative patented 'encapsulation' technology coats probiotic cells, such as Lactobacillus strains, with a protective layer. This allows the strains to withstand high temperatures during processing. When the probiotic product is consumed, the coating is naturally broken down by digestive enzymes that release the probiotic to colonize the small intestine and deliver its health benefits. Together with SIG's team of experts, we can not only offer consumers probiotic products with unique health benefits, but also a longer shelf life for greater convenience. “It is a truly radical innovation in the field of probiotic drinks.”
As the industry expert in aseptic filling, SIG has applied specific filling and processing parameters that ensure a homogeneous suspension of probiotic cells per package. This ensures the safe filling of probiotics into SIG aseptic packaging solutions at the highest quality levels.
Christoph Wegener, Market Director at SIG: “With the creation of a new product category, both SIG and AnaBio are providing food and beverage manufacturers with a pioneering solution to overcome the current limitations of fresh probiotic drinks. Our innovation offers lower distribution costs as no refrigeration is required, longer shelf life, greater reach and less food waste for both retailers and consumers. Aseptic probiotic yogurt drinks demonstrate our continued drive to innovate to rapidly meet changing consumer needs, while delivering high-quality products and longer shelf life in sustainable packaging. Our aseptic carton packaging has proven to be one of the most sustainable packaging solutions on the market.”
