Gaining mass appeal

Kathy Brock, America’s Naturals

Drug Store News caught up with American Naturals’ VP Kathy Brock to discuss the state of the probiotic market.



DSN: Given the number of entries in the probiotics category in recent years, do you feel the growth of the segment will continue?



Kathy Brock: I am very confident that the category will continue to grow for many reasons. Outside of the United States, probiotics and/or live culture-containing foods, such as yogurts, have been a part of the normal diet. Here in the United States, probiotics are fairly new, not to the health-conscious individual, but to the masses. We are now seeing the migration to the masses where it is becoming widely accepted and understood that probiotics are a good thing to incorporate into the diet.



Additionally, there is enough research to support this, so you are seeing widespread acceptance by medical professionals. This will help influence even more people fueling the growth in the category. The Global Industry Analysts 2014 report on Probiotics projects the most growth to occur in probiotic supplements, and predicts this trend to continue into the early 2020s. Our research agrees with this prediction.



DSN: What is the background of America’s Naturals, and what experience does it have in the pre/probiotic space?



Brock: America’s Naturals is a young company, but we are not a group of inexperienced individuals. Our core group is comprised of nutraceutical veterans and our ownership includes Gerhart Wolf, founder of Top Flora and Top Fit of Brazil. Wolf has been a leader in probiotics in that region for more than 20 years, so we have that type of experience in our company. We were extremely happy when Wolf and his team joined us. We expect to achieve the same success in the United States that Wolf enjoys in Brazil.



DSN: How is the Family Flora line different than others in the category?



Brock: There are a few things that make us different. Our product is a probiotic prebiotic supplement, not just a probiotic. We are packaged in stick packs so that the prebiotic dosing is sufficient enough to actually function as a prebiotic. It also makes the product very easy to take without having to swallow pills.



We see many products with very small amounts in a capsule, but this only benefits the cultures in the capsule, not the consumer. Prebiotics typically are plant fibers or other carbohydrates, and you need a dosing that is gram weight, not milligrams. I saw one competitor who has 150 milligrams of inulin. The dosing should be 3 g to 5 g, which equals 3,000 mg to 5,000 mg, not 150 mg.



Prebiotics are critical to a healthy microbiome. They are essentially the food the good bacteria eat to replicate and colonize in the gut. With so many people minimizing carbs from their diets, the addition of the prebiotic is a way to ensure that the consumer gets what they need. It is the full circle completed in one easy-dose stick.



DSN: What scientific or clinical research exists that supports the feature and function claims you are able to declare on the various items in the initial product portfolio?



Brock: When our products were formulated, they were done so by our experienced team based on validated and published research, ... and there is quite a bit of it. And every day, there is more research and information as the importance of our microbiome is coming into focus. So our basis is factual data, dosing based on that data and culture genus chosen for the same reason.



Additionally, we have completed invitro studies on each of our products to demonstrate that our cultures will sufficiently survive the GI tract and replicate to support colonization. This testifies to our culture quality and strength, and the effectiveness of the prebiotic. (Note that competitive products that did survive the GI tract that did not contain prebiotics did not demonstrate replication, testifying to the effectiveness of the prebiotic supplementation.) We also are conducting human studies that will help us broaden our product claims.



This is atypical for most supplement marketers. However, as I stated before, we are not your typical company.



DSN: In what ways will America’s Naturals build demand for the new Family Flora launch? What does the future look like for the brand?



Brock: We are very excited. We are rolling out a very robust marketing program that includes television spots — both print and digital — targeted to consumers in conjunction with a targeted campaign for medical professionals, doctors, physician’s assistants and pharmacists so they can learn about our products and gain confidence in recommending them. We will be in full marketing swing by September and building from that point forward.



Our focus and commitment to research and clinical validation will serve us and the consumer well as we work to find out more about the connection between gut health and overall health. It is widely accepted that there is a connection, but there is still so much more to understand and uncover, and that has us very excited.