The probiotics category continues to evolve as consumer interest in the microbiome and overall gut health fuels demand. As a result, researchers are discovering health benefits of probiotic strains, while manufacturers improve technologies and techniques to drive solutions. Developments such as spore-forming probiotics and microencapsulation have made probiotics resistant to processing, inspiring a host of innovative delivery formats, especially in food and beverage.

For beverages, the form of the probiotic strain is dependent on the finished product type and distribution channel. For example, live and active cultures are generally used in refrigerated products such as drinkable yogurt, kefir and kombucha, while the more robust spore form of microorganisms is often used in non-refrigerated beverages, noted Joe Farinella, vice president of research and development at Imbibe.

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