dsm-firmenich and Lallemand Health Solutions have partnered to create synbiotic solutions for the early life nutrition market.
 
The new solutions will combine human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) from dsm-firmenich and probitoics from Lallemand for products that support the health and development of infants, with the end goal being to support the establishment of a microbiome and immune system closer to that of breast-fed infants.
 
HMOs are evidenced to selectively promote the growth of probiotic strains, and enhance the production of metabolites relevant in gut health, immunity, cognition, growth, and development, and can bring the composition and functionality of infant formula closer to that of breast milk.
 
“Our partnership with Lallemand Health Solutions marks a significant milestone in the early life nutrition market with the development of game-changing synbiotic solutions that aim to narrow the gap in outcomes between breastfed and non-breastfed infants when breastfeeding is not possible,” said James Young, vice president of early life nutrition at dsm-firmenich. “By leveraging our deep understanding of HMOs and Lallemand Health Solution’s world-class probiotics, we are poised to set a new standard for synbiotics in infant nutrition.”
 
“Our Expert’Biotic probiotic baby strains have been clinically documented on more than 1,600 infants, with proven safety and efficacy,” said Isabelle Champié, vice president of sales and marketing at Lallemand Health Solutions. “By combining them with dsm-firmenich’s science-backed HMOs, we have created innovative, synergistic solutions that establish a strong foundation for infants’ health by supporting the development of their microbiome during the critical early life period.”
 
A well-balanced microbiome composition and development during infancy is associated with better gut barrier function, improved immune system development, normal functioning of the gut-brain axis, and positive cognitive outcomes.
 
The first three years of life play a critical role in colonization and development of the infant microbiome, and lay a foundation for various health outcomes later in life. The most important changes occur during the first year, but by age three, it is relatively stable and similar to that of an adult, the companies report.
 
HMOs, the third largest solid component of breast milk, act as prebiotic agents which promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the infant gut. When combined with probiotics, the resulting novel synbiotic combinations can enhance the benefits of individual components.
 
The novel combinations developed by the two companies will be available in the infant nutrition space through dsm-firmenich, while Lallemand Health Solutions will introduce the combinations for the dietary supplements market.