SIG and AnaBio Technologies are proud to introduce the global launch of a revolutionary long-life probiotic yogurt, marking a significant advancement in probiotic beverages and aseptic packaging. This game-changing development has opened up a new product category: probiotic beverages packed in aseptic carton packs and spouted pouches, offering extended shelf life without refrigeration.
Probiotics are widely recognized as beneficial for health, particularly in terms of improving gut health and strengthening immunity, and consumers worldwide value these benefits.
Until now, the incorporation of probiotics into aseptic beverage packaging has been challenging due to their vulnerability to common heat treatments used in processing. Additionally, probiotics have been known to become unstable during storage, limiting their use to refrigerated beverages with short shelf lives.
However, AnaBio’s encapsulation technology, in combination with SIG’s gentle aseptic filling technology, has overcome these obstacles. This breakthrough allows food and beverage companies to produce probiotic beverages containing live probiotics, packed in carton packs and spouted pouches, which can be stored at room temperature for extended periods without refrigeration. This innovative offering meets the demand for healthy, flavorful, and nutritious probiotic beverages in sustainable and convenient packaging.
Sinéad Bleiel, Founder of AnaBio Technologies, explains the patented ‘encapsulation’ technology: “Our innovative technology coats probiotic cells, such as Lactobacillus strains, with a protective layer, enabling the strains to withstand high processing temperatures. When consumed, the coating is naturally broken down by digestive enzymes, releasing the probiotics in the small intestine to deliver their health benefits. Through our partnership with the expert team at SIG, we not only provide consumers with probiotic products offering unique health benefits but also products with a longer shelf life for greater convenience. This is a game-changing innovation in the field of probiotic beverages.”
As experts in aseptic filling, SIG has applied specific filling and processing parameters to ensure a homogeneous suspension of probiotic cells in each pack. This guarantees the safe filling of probiotics into SIG’s aseptic packaging solutions at the highest quality standards.
Christoph Wegener, Chief Markets Officer at SIG, highlights the benefits of this new product category: “By creating a new product category, both SIG and AnaBio are offering beverage and food manufacturers a pioneering solution to overcome the limitations of fresh probiotic beverages. Our innovation provides lower distribution costs as refrigeration is not required, longer shelf life, increased market reach, and reduced food wastage for retailers and consumers alike. Aseptic probiotic yogurt drinks showcase our commitment to innovation in swiftly meeting evolving consumer needs, while maintaining product quality and longer shelf life in sustainable packaging. Our aseptic carton packs are widely recognized as one of the most sustainable packaging solutions* in the market.”
This groundbreaking innovation and partnership present numerous opportunities. It includes the creation of new product segments in emerging markets where highly nutritious products are in high demand, as well as the combination of sustainable packaging solutions with healthy probiotic concepts that were previously only available in the fresh aisle.
