dsm-firmenich and Lallemand Health Solutions to launch synergistic synbiotic solutions for early life nutrition

dsm-firmenich, innovators in nutrition, health and beauty, and Lallemand Health Solutions, pioneers in probiotics, today announce a groundbreaking partnership to launch new synergistic synbiotic¹ solutions for early life nutrition.

The new solutions are a combination of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) from dsm-firmenich and probiotics from Lallemand Health Solutions to provide potential synergistic benefits that support infant health and development. These solutions aim to support a microbiome establishment closer to that of breast-fed infants and the development of the immune system, the gut microbiome and optimal developmental trajectories.

With promising research showing that specific HMOs can selectively promote the growth of specific probiotic strains and enhance production of metabolites of interest in the range of gut health, natural defenses, cognition, growth and development.² These new synbiotic solutions harness this synergistic combination to help bring the composition and functionality of infant formula closer to that of breast milk – the gold standard for infant nutrition.

"All infants deserve the best start in life, and access to optimum nutrition during early life is essential. Our partnership with Lallemand Health Solutions marks a significant milestone in the early life nutrition market with the development of game-changing synbiotic solutions that aim to narrow the gap in outcomes between breastfed and non-breastfed infants when breastfeeding is not possible," says James Young, Vice President Early Life Nutrition at dsm-firmenich. "By leveraging our deep understanding of HMOs and Lallemand Health Solution's world-class probiotics, we are poised to set a new standard for synbiotics in infant nutrition. We are confident this collaboration will enable us to meet the evolving needs of parents and infants, ultimately making a positive impact on the lives of families globally."

"At Lallemand Health Solutions, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of probiotic research and development to create solutions that promote optimal health and well-being," states Isabelle Champié, Vice-President Sales & Marketing at Lallemand Health Solutions. "Our Expert’Biotic probiotic baby strains have been clinically documented on more than 1,600 infants, with proven safety and efficacy. By combining them with dsm-firmenich’s science-backed HMOs, we have created innovative, synergistic solutions that establish a strong foundation for infants’ health by supporting the development of their microbiome during the critical early life period.”

A well-balanced microbiome composition and development during infancy is associated with various health benefits, such as improved gut barrier function against opportunistic microorganisms³, proper development of the baby’s immune system⁴ and normal functioning of the gut-brain axis and its influence on the developing brain.⁵ 

The first three years of life play a critical role in the colonization and development of the infant microbiome, laying the foundation for optimum health and well-being throughout life. The most important changes in the gut microbiome occur during the first year, but by age three, it is relatively stable and similar to that of an adult.^{6, 7, 8} During this timeframe, probiotics contribute to the infant microbiome and help build the foundation for healthy growth and development.

HMOs, the third largest solid component of breast milk, act as prebiotic agents which promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the infant gut and support the development of a healthy microbiota and immune system, as they help protect against potentially harmful microbes. When HMOs are combined with probiotics, novel synergistic synbiotic solutions emerge which enhance the benefits of each individual component. By combining HMOs with probiotics that use HMOs as its substrate, dsm-firmenich and Lallemand Health Solutions have developed combinations that demonstrate unique synergies fostering infant health and optimum development. Brand owners active in the space of infant nutrition can access these synergic synbiotic combinations exclusively through dsm-firmenich, whereas Lallemand Health Solutions will continue driving innovation by proposing these synergistic synbiotic combinations through their food supplement solutions.