Probiotic soda innovation

Australian brand Nexba has launched a range of probiotic sodas. The Australian brother-in-law founders, Troy and Drew, spent years working on the formula development that led them to the Bacillus coagulans probiotic strain. The strain is claimed to survive the harsh journey to the stomach and also remain effective in non-refrigerated environments.

Here we ask Drew Bilbe (DB) Co-CEO and Co-Founder to explain some further details about this new product development:

What inspired you develop this soda product?

DB: Consumer demand for probiotics has skyrocketed in recent years as people are increasingly aware of the role of gut health for general wellbeing. It’s estimated that roughly 50% of Australians have some form of gut health concern (CSIRO, 2019), so this really is an area that consumers are demanding innovative and natural solutions for. We also know that consumers are constantly seeking products that deliver in both the health and taste department, which is why we landed on Probiotic Soda as the perfect combination of these three major trends in the beverage space. Functional gut health benefits, combined with naturally sugar-free product formulation and most importantly, an epic full-flavour taste. One thing we’re so passionate about at Nexba is ensuring that every product we make always blows the consumer’s mind when it comes to flavour. People expect ‘healthier’ drinks to taste bad and we prove just the opposite!

What were the main challenges you faced when manufacturing this product, particularly when it came to processing probiotics?

DB: Each can of our Probiotic Soda contains a billion live probiotics. We spent years researching the best probiotics available and understanding the nuances between the different strains. All of our functional products, including our new Probiotic Soda, contain the Bacillus coagulans probiotic strain, which is proven to be one of the most efficacious when it comes to surviving the journey to the gut, and also in non-refrigerated environments. Unfortunately there’s lots of probiotic products out there that simply aren’t effective due to the probiotic strain they use not being able to reach the gut alive or survive at room temperature. All of the Nexba products that use probiotics, including our new Probiotic Soda range, guarantee that at least 85% of the probiotics will make it to your gut alive.

In terms of processing probiotics, the biggest challenge is maintaining the efficacy of the probiotics whilst also protecting the liquid from any unwanted bacteria. It’s a fine balancing act and requires a great partnership between the producer and manufacturer, which thankfully we’ve developed by working really closely with our whole supply chain over the years.

How was the ‘Boosts immunity’ proven claim achieved for the packaging?

DB: All of our claims are submitted to and approved by FSANZ. We know that immunity is something consumers are increasingly looking to product innovations to assist with and help develop naturally. Given the efficacy of our probiotics we were confident in achieving this.

Made using the company’s patented Naturally Sugar-Free formulation, each 375 mL can in the new range is claimed to contain a billion live probiotics. Flavours include cherry cola and pineapple, and the four-pack packaging includes the ‘Boosts immunity’ proven claim.

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