Proprietary probiotic approved for infant food in China

Japanese dairy product company Morinaga Milk has announced its proprietary probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis M-63 has been approved by the National Health Commission (NHC) of the People’s Republic of China as a new food ingredient for use in infant and children foods (under the age of three).

Bifidobacterium infantis M-63 is a probiotic strain of human-residential bifidobacteria (HRB) — bifidobacteria that naturally reside in the human gut — and is known for its ability to utilise human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) found in breast milk, which is claimed to improve the intestinal environment of healthy full-term infants.

The newly registered Bifidobacterium infantis M-63 joins Morinaga Milk’s other approved strains, Bifidobacterium breve M-16V and Bifidobacterium longum BB536. All three strains are now permitted for use in foods for children under three years old in China, meeting the country’s nutritional and safety standards.

The company plans to leverage this approval to expand collaborations with major formula milk manufacturers and promote supplements and other related products in China and globally.

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