Kerry, the Taste & Nutrition company, has announced that it has reached agreement to acquire the Canadian company, Bio-K Plus International. Bio-K Plus is a probiotic company with a range of clinically-supported probiotic beverage and supplement applications in the North American market and will expand Kerry’s capabilities and leadership position in the probiotics market.

This acquisition expands Kerry’s portfolio of probiotics and reflects the growing number of consumers who are becoming more proactive in their approach to managing their health and are turning to functional foods, beverages and supplements that are made with clinically supported functional ingredients. Bio-K Plus products are formulated with three proprietary and clinically validated strains of probiotics which have confirmed efficacy for a range of therapeutic benefits, including the prevention of side effects resulting from antibiotic use.

Commenting on the acquisition, Neil Cracknell, president, Kerry Applied Health & Nutrition, said: “We are committed to creating a world of sustainable nutrition and this acquisition will support our ambition to reach over two billion people with sustainable nutrition solutions by 2030. Research has shown that consumers are increasingly looking for nutritional benefits when purchasing food and drink and that products which contain probiotics that improve gut health are specifically in demand. Bio-K Plus further expands our portfolio of probiotics with the addition of three science-backed strains as we continue to help enhance the health & wellness of consumers across the globe by having a strong complement of published clinical trials confirming efficacy.”

As a growing number of consumers become more proactive in their approach to managing their health, they turn to functional foods, beverages and supplements made with clinically supported functional ingredients. Kerry has been developing its position in science-backed functional ingredients for several years, with the acquisition of immune health ingredient Wellmune in 2015, followed by the leading probiotic GanedenBC³⁰ in 2017. Today, 69 percent of consumers globally are now more likely to pay attention to nutritional benefits when purchasing food and drink. This demand, which was growing, has accelerated as a result of the global pandemic, as evidenced by nearly 2 in 3 consumers becoming more conscious about their overall health and wellbeing due to COVID-19.

Headquartered in Quebec, Canada, Bio-K Plus develops, manufactures, and distributes clinically supported probiotic fermented beverages and supplements under the Bio-K Plus brand throughout North America. The company has 134 employees and operates two facilities, one located in Quebec, and the second in California.