The consumer industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity is driven by guided health, wellbeing, and personalized nutrition, and growing importance of technologies such as plant-based alternative proteins, 3D food printing, and digital food management. In the last three years alone, there have been over 662,000 patents filed and granted in the consumer industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Environmental sustainability in consumer: probiotic culture formulations. Buy the report here.

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 116,000 patents to analyze innovation intensity for the consumer industry, there are 30+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Probiotic culture formulations is a key innovation area in environmental sustainability

Probiotic culture formulations refer to the combination of live microorganisms, typically bacteria, that provide health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts. These formulations can be used in various applications, including food production, dietary supplements, and pharmaceuticals.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies.  According to GlobalData, there are 280+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established consumer companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of probiotic culture formulations.

Key players in probiotic culture formulations – a disruptive innovation in the consumer industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.   

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.  

Patent volumes related to probiotic culture formulations

Company Total patents (2010 - 2022) Premium intelligence on the world's largest companies
4D Pharma 551 Unlock Company Profile
Chr. Hansen 315 Unlock Company Profile
CJ 226 Unlock Company Profile
Novo Nordisk Foundation 223 Unlock Company Profile
Danone 200 Unlock Company Profile
DuPont de Nemours 190 Unlock Company Profile
Symrise 160 Unlock Company Profile
Nestle 145 Unlock Company Profile
BioGaia 131 Unlock Company Profile
Meiji 125 Unlock Company Profile
Morinaga Milk Industry 124 Unlock Company Profile
Yakult Honsha 115 Unlock Company Profile
Probiotical 103 Unlock Company Profile
KoBioLabs 92 Unlock Company Profile
Otsuka 86 Unlock Company Profile
Advanced BioNutrition 74 Unlock Company Profile
Kraft Heinz 71 Unlock Company Profile
NVP Healthcare 68 Unlock Company Profile
Consejo Superior Investigacion 64 Unlock Company Profile
RAG-Stiftung 61 Unlock Company Profile
Royal DSM 57 Unlock Company Profile
GenMont Biotech 57 Unlock Company Profile
TCI 52 Unlock Company Profile
Precigen 49 Unlock Company Profile
Kerry Group 49 Unlock Company Profile
Asahi Group 49 Unlock Company Profile
Grape King Bio 44 Unlock Company Profile
Archer Daniels Midland 43 Unlock Company Profile
Genome 42 Unlock Company Profile
Cell Biotech 42 Unlock Company Profile
Reckitt Benckiser Group 41 Unlock Company Profile
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 39 Unlock Company Profile
Procter & Gamble 39 Unlock Company Profile
Giuliani 38 Unlock Company Profile
Lesaffre Group 38 Unlock Company Profile
Mars 35 Unlock Company Profile
BASF 35 Unlock Company Profile
Pendulum Therapeutics 34 Unlock Company Profile
Yuhan 33 Unlock Company Profile
Alfasigma 32 Unlock Company Profile
Quorum Innovations 32 Unlock Company Profile
Glycotope 32 Unlock Company Profile
Kirin 31 Unlock Company Profile
glac Biotech 31 Unlock Company Profile
PharmaCyte Biotech 28 Unlock Company Profile
Beijing BGI-GBI Biotech 27 Unlock Company Profile
Pfizer 26 Unlock Company Profile
By-health 25 Unlock Company Profile
GI Biome 25 Unlock Company Profile
Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group 25 Unlock Company Profile

Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics

4D Pharma is one of the leading patent filers in probiotic culture formulations. Some other key patent filers in the space include Chr. Hansen, CJ, and Novo Nordisk Foundation. Chr. Hansen introduced the VEGA Culture Kit, designed exclusively for fermented plant-based products. The kit mexallows creators in the plant-based industry to craft unique and distinct attributes for their offerings, encompassing aspects such as flavor, consistency, well-being, and eco-friendliness.


In terms of application diversity, 4D Pharma Plc leads the pack, with Quorum Innovations and Glycotope in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, 4D Pharma holds the top position, followed by Kraft Heinz and Pendulum Therapeutics.

Probiotic-rich products are expected to remain in demand if the current trends of consumers seeking healthier food options continue. Probiotics are often associated with digestive health, immune support, and other potential benefits, which could drive their adoption. To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the consumer industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in Consumer Goods.

Premium Insights

From

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors.

GlobalData

GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.