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Excerpt from the "2021 Global Probiotics Industry-University-Research and Development Trends White Paper".
4.2 Probiotic product professional research
4.2.1 Research Methods and Sample Description
The project was designed and analyzed by Beijing Warm Heart Biotechnology Research Institute Co., Ltd., and the Hummingbird Questionnaire was responsible for collecting information.
1. Research methodology design
Research Methods: The Institute invites professionals to fill in the online questionnaire through one-to-one and peer-to-peer methods, and the invitees invite professionals who meet the requirements of the research object to fill in the questionnaire.
Research platform: Hummingbird questionnaire online research platform
Research objects: basic researchers, medical workers and enterprise personnel engaged in probiotics-related fields
Research period: December 28, 2020 - January 6, 2021
2. Sample conditions
Engaged in probiotic-related research, application understanding/familiarity with probiotic-related products or characteristics, and have a certain scientific background
3. Sample size and distribution
A total of 1032 valid questionnaires were collected in this survey, including 456 from basic researchers, 300 from clinicians, 165 from enterprise personnel (including managers and R&D personnel), and others (mainly nurses, dietitians and students).
Among them, the distribution of professional directions of basic researchers, clinicians, and enterprise personnel is shown in the figure below. Among the basic researchers, the main focus is on "microbiology", the clinicians are mainly in the direction of "gastroenterology", and the main among the business people are "probiotic companies".
4.2.2 Core findings
Respondents' perception of probiotics:
- The respondents had a high overall awareness of probiotics, and agreed that the improvement effect of probiotics on intestinal and systemic health and the probiotic function were strain-specific.
- The majority of respondents believe that probiotic efficacy claims should be based on human randomized controlled trial evidence, with clinicians having a relatively higher demand for evidence-based evidence.
Respondents' perceptions and attitudes towards probiotic intake:
- The majority of respondents agreed that healthy people should consume probiotics appropriately;
- Respondents had different views on the intake range of probiotics for children of different ages, and were more cautious about children aged 0~3 years.
- Most respondents believe that the daily intake of probiotics by adults should be controlled at 50~30 billion.
- Respondents' views on probiotic product forms, strain counts, and labels:
- The majority of respondents believe that yogurt is the best form of probiotic products, but a certain percentage believe that current common forms of probiotics have limitations;
- The majority of respondents support that probiotic products should contain 2~5 strains;
- The majority of respondents agreed that probiotic products should be clearly labelled with all strains;
- The majority of respondents believe that the number of viable bacteria per unit of package (CFU) should be based on the actual number of bacteria that have been effective in human randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Respondents' views on the number of viable bacteria during the storage and transportation of probiotic products:
- The majority of respondents believe that the cold chain should be maintained throughout the sales process of probiotic products;
- Some respondents held a "result-oriented" view on the number of viable bacteria in the shelf life of probiotic products in unit packaging, believing that as long as the product was effective, others believed that a certain proportion should be guaranteed.
- Respondents' attitudes and views on the future development of the probiotics industry:
- "Excessively exaggerating the function of probiotics and claiming to cure all diseases", "deceiving consumers by strains or ingredients", and "claiming functions without evidence-based evidence" are the three major behaviors that respondents believe are the least beneficial to the healthy development of the probiotics industry.
- Gastrointestinal health is the most optimistic probiotic innovation track for respondents, and mental regulation has also attracted much attention.
4.2.3 Analysis of respondents' views on probiotic products
4.2.3.1 Respondents' perception of probiotics
In recent years, experiments and literature demonstrations of probiotics in improving the intestine and enhancing immunity have been emerging, and the public (especially professionals in related fields) have popularized the awareness of the function of probiotics. Respondents to the survey generally agreed that "probiotic supplementation can improve gut health and general health", with 51.9% of respondents fully agreeing with this view. In contrast, basic researchers were more cautious about this view, with 53.1% of them choosing limited agreement.
Ninety-four percent of respondents believe that the probiotic function of probiotics is "strain-specific", with 7%, 5% and 4% of basic researchers, clinicians and business people disagreeing with this view, respectively.
Some probiotics do have some common prebiotic properties, such as regulating lactose intolerance. However, due to the differences in genome and phenotype between strains, the probiotic functions of most strains are strain-specific, especially some specially claimed probiotic functions (such as regulating blood glucose, etc.). In addition, the probiotic function of probiotics needs to be supported by clinical evidence, and most of the clinical evidence-based is only for one or a few strains.
Human randomized controlled trials are the most recommended, and clinicians are more demanding: there are many different levels of research on the functionality of probiotics, including cell experiments, animal experiments, human experiments, etc., and these functions also need to be claimed based on scientific evidence.
Randomized controlled trials in humans (43%) were the most popular among respondents, followed by meta-analyses of multiple RCTs (28%). It is worth mentioning that clinicians have higher requirements for evidence than basic researchers and business people, with 40% opting for meta-analyses based on multiple RCTs, and only 4% opting for animal or cell experiments.
4.2.3.2 Respondents' perceptions and attitudes towards probiotic intake
Moderate probiotic intake is generally accepted, and business people are more positive: professionals are both guides and consumers of probiotic products, and we surveyed their views on whether healthy people should consume probiotics and the range of probiotic intake for different age groups. Fifty-five percent of respondents believe that healthy people can consume probiotics in moderation, and only 9% believe that healthy people do not need to consume probiotics. This also coincides with the continued prosperity of the probiotics market in recent years. Among them, 49% of business people (both necessary and very necessary) believe that it is necessary to consume probiotics. Basic investigators and clinicians, on the other hand, prefer moderate intake.
For children aged 0~3 years old, more respondents tend to be cautious and conservative, and the order of choice is "should not ingest probiotics" (34%), "≤ 1 billion" (32%), "10~5 billion" (17%), "50~10 billion" (9%), "100~30 billion" (5%), "300~50 billion" (1%), "500~100 billion" (1%), "≥ 100 billion" (1%). Among the three types of respondents, basic researchers (39%) were more conservative, while business people (28%) were more open about the number of probiotics consumed by children. For children aged 3~12 years old, professionals have a higher tolerance for the intake of probiotics, and the three most popular options are: "≤ 1 billion" (28%), "10~5 billion" (25%), and "should not ingest probiotics" (16%).
In fact, the amount of probiotics a child consumes per day should be adjusted according to scientific evidence. Of course, the intake of probiotics should be determined according to the appropriate dietary guidelines and clinicians' guidance for children with disease, but this group of people is not included in the scope of this study in principle. However, from the options set up in this questionnaire, it can be concluded that professionals' attitudes towards probiotic intake become more tolerant and open with age.
In contrast, for the intake range of adult probiotics, the overall trend of the three types of respondents is the same, and they are more concentrated in the range of 10~30 billion CFU. In the eyes of professionals, the intake of probiotics is not always better, and it needs to be comprehensively considered based on scientific evidence, the rationality and safety of dietary intake.
Conflict of Interest Statement
Conflict of Interest Statement
He is the co-founder and executive editor of iMeta journal, holds positions in professional institutions such as national societies, and serves as a university chair professor.
However, readers should be reminded that the company he founded and mainly works in, Beijing Warm Heart Biotechnology Research Institute Co., Ltd., is a for-profit commercial organization, and he also serves as chairman and director of this company and a number of affiliated companies.
In addition, he is also a consultant or consultant officially employed by Shanghai Pharmaceutical, H&H Group, Mengniu Group and other enterprises, and provides strategy, product and other consulting services for many other enterprises.
Mr. Warmheart benefits from the above-mentioned for-profit organizations through shareholdings, salaries, dividends and consulting fees, and although he always wants to uphold a scientific, objective and impartial attitude at the time of writing, the following conflicts of interest may inevitably exist due to the above reasons:
- Loss of rigor, objectivity, and professionalism in science communication due to commercial motives.
- Emphasis is placed on the products and services of interested companies and other potential options are neglected.
- Emphasize the strengths of the stakeholder companies and downplay their weaknesses.
In order to avoid and reduce the non-objectivity caused by conflicts of interest, Mr. Warmheart will take the following measures:
- This statement is made public, clearly indicating the relationship between the interested companies.
- Evaluate all organizations, including stakeholder companies, objectively and fairly.
- Readers are encouraged to make criticisms and suggestions and to improve them.
When reading Mr. Warmheart's articles, readers should pay attention to understanding his business background, and maintain rational judgment and critical thinking.