Probiotic sales on the rise

Many of the larger probiotic brands are experiencing significant growth. i-Health’s Culturelle generated $61.6 million in sales on a growth rate of 44.5% for the 52 weeks ended Aug. 11, according to IRI data across U.S. multi-outlets. And sales of Bayer’s Phillips Colon Health were up 18.5% to $58.7 million.

(For the full category review, including sales data, click here.)

Although Procter and Gamble’s Align, with $68.8 million in sales, was only up 0.2%, that doesn’t necessarily mean the brand has reached a plateau. “More than half of the women surveyed (53%) do not know much or anything about probiotics,” Align spokeswoman Ashley Koff said, but 74% of women are interested in knowing more about how their digestive system works.

The venerable Canadian brand Jamieson Laboratories is bringing an individually wrapped powder into the probiotic space with Jamieson Probiotic Sticks in a red-plum flavor.