Cleveland, OH -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/11/2008 -- 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 the P.L. Thomas booth, #722.

The probiotic bars are powered by the patented healthy bacteria, GanedenBC30, which the company claims delivers over ten times more live cells than yogurt. “GanedenBC30 stands apart from other traditional bacteria” explains Ganeden’s Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, Sean Farmer. “The core of the cell is protected by a natural organic layer that serves as a protective shield against harsh manufacturing processes and stomach acids. This unique characteristic 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 and can be formulated in a variety of flavor, ingredient and nutritional combinations. The probiotic bars are being made available under private label to retailers and food companies as a completely turn key solution.

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. According to Neilson LabelTrends, the total probiotic market was over $700 million in 2007. 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 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 is used as a probiotic food ingredient which can also be used in, to name just a few examples, hot and cold beverages, dry drink mixes, soup mixes, baked goods, dairy products and a variety of health bars including protein, meal replacement, energy, breakfast and sports nutrition bars.

GanedenBC30 has shown to be heartier than other probiotic strains, can survive mixing, baking and intense pressures of the manufacturing process, has long shelf life and is self-affirmed GRAS. Company literature calls GanedenBC30 “the probiotic that can take it.” Plus, when adding GanedenBC30 as a probiotic food ingredient there are normally no changes required in the manufacturing process. This is good news for manufacturers who can now have an edge in such a competitive market without having to resort to complicated and costly measures to ensure cell viability.

"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 retailers and food companies, there is now an easy, turn-key way to expand offerings into the rapidly expanding probiotic, functional food category through the introduction of a probiotic bar product. For consumers, the good news is that they can now experience all of the benefits of probiotics with a great tasting bar that does not need to be refrigerated.

About Ganeden Biotech
Founded in 1997, Ganeden Biotech Inc. is a consumer healthcare company based in Cleveland, Ohio that features a popular line of digestive and immune fitness products under the brand names Sustenex, Digestive Advantage, and Clearly Confident. Ganeden’s oral products including Sustenex and Digestive Advantage contain GanedenBC30 Probiotic, a patented strain of Bacillus coagulans. Ganeden Labs is the licensing and development division of Ganeden Biotech, making proprietary, patented probiotic technology available for use in innovative products in a wide range of industries. GanedenBC30 Probiotic and its related patents are available for licensing.

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

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