CLEVELAND, Ohio (February 11, 2008) – Ganeden Biotech will premiere its new probiotic health bars at the Natural Products Expo West – scheduled for March 14th through the 16th at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Samples of the bars will be available at the show at booth 722.

The probiotic bars are powered by the patented healthy bacteria, GanedenBC30 Probiotic, which the company claims delivers ten times the live cells as yogurt. “GanedenBC30 Probiotic stands apart from other traditional bacteria” explains Ganeden’s Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, Sean Farmer. “It’s surrounded by a natural organic layer that serves as a protective shield against the harsh manufacturing process and stomach acids. This unique make-up is why we initially chose a strain of Bacillus coagulans over other conventional probiotic strains” explains Farmer.

The new probiotic bars are all natural, low in fat, contain no trans fat or preservatives, are kosher certified and do not require refrigeration. Flavors include Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Vanilla Chocolate Chip and Fruit ‘n Nut.

Ganeden Biotech President and CEO, Andy Lefkowitz jokes, “Have you heard the one about digestive and immune fitness walking into a bar? That’s essentially what we’ve done. We’ve taken all the immune and digestive health benefits of our probiotic bacteria, GanedenBC30, and put into a great tasting bar.” But probiotics are no laughing matter. The probiotic yogurt category alone went from around $100 million in 2006 to over $300 million in 2006. The new probiotic bar from Ganeden Biotech could very well open up an entirely new revenue generating opportunity for distributors and manufacturers alike.

“There’s simply no bar with this type of probiotic bacteria like this currently out there” says Lefkowitz. “We’re just thrilled to be the first ones to come to market.”

The healthy bacteria inside the bars, GanedenBC30 Probiotic, can also be included as an ingredient in muffins, hot and cold beverages, dry drink mixes, soups, dairy products and a variety of health bars including protein, meal replacement, energy, breakfast and sports nutrition bars.

GanedenBC30 Probiotic has shown to be heartier than other probiotic strains, can survive mixing, baking and intense pressures of the manufacturing process and has a twelve month shelf life. Company literature calls GanedenBC30 “the probiotic that can take it.” Plus, adding GanedenBC30 Probiotic as ingredient requires no change in the manufacturing production. This is good news for manufacturers who can now have an edge in such a competitive market.

"Until we were introduced to GanedenBC30, we did not believe that a probiotic could be a viable ingredient in mainstream, high volume foods and beverages because every strain we looked at was so fragile," commented leading ingredient supplier, P.L. Thomas president Paul Flowerman.

For consumers, the good news is that they can now boost their immune system and promote digestive health with a great tasting bar that does not need to be refrigerated. Plus, the new probiotic bars could turn out to be a wonderful alternative to people who want to get the benefits of probiotics but don’t want to eat yogurt every day, are lactose intolerant, or have trouble swallowing pills.

Probiotics are beneficial or healthy bacteria that live in the digestive tract. They help the body maintain a balance between the beneficial bacteria and harmful bacteria.  

Natural Products Expo West is the largest natural and organic trade show that features thousands of new products, cutting-edge trends, engaging speakers and informative seminars. More than 2,800 exhibitors are registered for this year’s event.

Media Contact:
Michael Bush
Ganeden Biotech, Inc.
(440) 229-5200
mbush@ganedenbiotech.com