Domestic probiotics may usher in a "major shake-up" in the industry.

In early April, the official website of the State Administration for Market Regulation released a notice seeking public opinions on the national standard for "Health Food Ingredients - Probiotics". The notice sets stringent entry requirements from the very beginning: strain identification must be down to the individual "strain", efficacy must be supported by clinical trials, and production must establish a three-tier seed batch system.

This means that brands lacking scientific research strength and relying on patchwork formulas will be gradually eliminated. As consumers become more professional and in-depth in their understanding of probiotics, companies that plan ahead and master their own strain research and development capabilities will reap the benefits of being early movers.

It should be noted that for a long time, the lifeblood of China's multi-billion-yuan probiotic market has been largely controlled by a few international giants. From patented strains to core raw materials, "imported probiotics" have dominated the high-end market, while many domestic brands have traditionally played the roles of "formulation transfer" and "market promotion", lacking influence in core technologies. However, this situation is now being rewritten.

According to the "White Paper on the Chinese Probiotics Market (2025)" released by Frost & Sullivan, by 2025, China's cumulative preservation of proprietary probiotic strains will rank first globally, and several leading domestic enterprises have established their own proprietary strain resource libraries. The self-sufficiency rate of the domestic probiotics market is also continuously improving. Just as domestic mobile phone brands such as Huawei have broken through import monopolies through independent research and development, Chinese probiotics are also using their own "Chinese core" to power the health of 1.4 billion Chinese people with an independent engine.

Against this backdrop, a more significant "game-changer" has officially entered the arena - COFCO Probiotics.

It is understood that with over ten years of accumulation in scientific research and probiotic resources, COFCO Probiotics is entering the probiotic arena as a "national team" player. Currently, it has established a product matrix featuring "Chinese people, Chinese probiotics, and COFCO probiotics".

With the policy intensifying its promotion and industrial competition escalating, what does the entry of COFCO Probiotics signify as China's probiotic market undergoes a "reshuffle"? And what kind of solutions can it bring to the nation's citizens? This issue's "New Discovery" will delve into these questions.

01 A decade of searching for probiotics, and now entering the game: COFCO Probiotics is rewriting the rules of the game

The COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute has now established a unique industrial strain resource library for agricultural and food products, featuring over 11,000 strains of microorganisms, with distinct COFCO characteristics.

Since 2016, the research team has devoted ten years to deep exploration, embarking on a long journey of searching for bacteria. Leveraging COFCO's full industry chain advantages and combining regional product characteristics, researchers have traveled across diverse ecological regions in China, systematically collecting various microbial samples from the entire chain of grain cultivation, intensive processing, natural fermentation, and storage and preservation; extensively gathering local fermented food strains such as yogurt, kimchi, and traditional fermented water. At the same time, they have delved into various local livelihood scenarios, collecting beneficial bacterial flora from infants' intestines, healthy breast milk, adults' intestines, and livestock and poultry intestines, continuously expanding the local bacterial strain reserve.

Meanwhile, the COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute closely follows the national aerospace strategic layout, vigorously conducts research on cutting-edge technologies related to aerospace mutation breeding, and comprehensively enhances the richness of microbial resources and species diversity, laying a solid core foundation for the innovative research and development of domestically produced, original, and localized probiotic and food strains. In addition, the team has systematically completed the mapping of strain enzyme activity, analysis of carbon source metabolic profiles, and multi-dimensional functional evaluations such as probiotic characteristics and antibacterial properties, establishing a scientific research foundation for the health value of "COFCO strains".

Relying on the COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute as the R&D hub, and COFCO Nutrition and Health Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. as the key hub for product launch and market promotion, COFCO Probiotics' scientific research achievements can be transformed into health solutions for all scenarios, achieving deep penetration and comprehensive layout from basic nutrition to functional food, in collaboration with diversified business segments such as COFCO Oils & Fats, COFCO Shan Cui, COFCO Biotechnology, China Tea, and COFCO Sugar.

What does this "independent research and development + independent production" model mean for the industry?

In the past, a probiotic brand often needed to separately connect with strain suppliers, contract manufacturers, and channel distributors, leaving limited room for quality control and cost optimization. COFCO Probiotics, with its complete chain from strain screening to terminal products, can complete all core links from scientific research to shelving within the system. This not only reduces product development costs but, more importantly, enables rapid response to market demands and product iteration. For small and medium-sized brands lacking source research and development capabilities, the entry of COFCO Probiotics signifies an escalation in competition from a "marketing war" to a "scientific research war" and a "system war".

Collaborative integration of 5 major platforms and a multi-dimensional technical support system

The Microbiological Innovation and R&D Center of COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute is dedicated to the innovation and application of microbial technology, encompassing the construction and deepening of a cross-disciplinary technology matrix including multi-phase fermentation process regulation, flavor metabolomics analysis, AI data analysis, innovative product development, and the transformation of scientific research achievements, systematically empowering the technological upgrading of COFCO's entire industry chain.

In the development of probiotic products, we have five major technological platforms to support us:

1. High-quality microbial development technology platform: Focusing on the construction of a strain resource library for the agricultural and food industry and the traditional and efficient screening of upstream functional microorganisms, we are committed to the development of high-quality strains. We have established a comprehensive technology chain encompassing precise screening, efficacy evaluation, in vivo and in vitro validation, targeted delivery, and process evaluation, deeply exploring the mining of high-value strains and product development.

2. Ultra-high Throughput Screening Technology Platform: Focusing on efficient screening and deep mining of microbial resources, this platform integrates automation, microfluidics, and artificial intelligence. It combines ultra-high throughput cell/strain screening technologies such as brightfield, fluorescence, visible light, and Raman spectroscopy. By breaking through cutting-edge core technologies such as ultra-high throughput screening and automated genetic breeding, it cultivates new tracks for high-quality strain development.

3. Microbial Application Technology Platform: With microbial directed regulation as the core, based on single and synthetic microbial community technology systems, combined with bioinformatics, statistics, and other analytical methods, microbial resources are targeted for application in industrial and agricultural fields. Through fermentation system analysis, replacement of high-quality performance strains, high-value utilization of waste, and development of mycoproteins, production quality and efficiency are improved.

4. Fermentation Process and Analysis Platform: With the goal of "deliciousness, safety, and health", we integrate multiple fermentation process technologies, flavoromics technologies, and advanced artificial intelligence technologies. We are committed to optimizing and controlling microbial solid/liquid fermentation processes, improving the quality of fermentation products, exploring health and functional factors, and analyzing and applying intelligent data.

5. Microbial product research and development platform: Focus on the development of probiotics, microbial proteins, and other fermented foods, integrate industrial chain marketing, and promote product industrialization.

In fact, a single technological platform is not uncommon in professional scientific research institutions, but integrating technological platforms from so many disciplines within the same enterprise system is extremely rare in the domestic probiotic industry. Compared to the competition of single strains or single formulas, the systematic technological platform of COFCO Probiotics clearly has more advantages.

02 All-around Strong Person CCNH185 Leads: COFCO Probiotics Multi-target Strain Product Matrix

Six health scenarios, precisely addressing health pain points

Relying on COFCO's unique agricultural and food industry microbial resource library, COFCO has established a comprehensive health matrix spanning "metabolic regulation, microecological restoration, and emotional management", precisely focusing on specific health pain points and providing professional solutions with scientific formulas.

From metabolic intervention for lowering uric acid and regulating blood lipids, to barrier remodeling for anti-Helicobacter pylori and private parts care, to emotional and social support for sleep aid, stress relief, sobering up, and liver protection, and even extending to oral beauty and oral care - its probiotic matrix has achieved broad coverage of national health needs. By segmenting the once singular and general health needs into more refined scenarios, COFCO Probiotics can expand into new scenarios more rapidly and at lower marginal costs, more promptly meeting consumers' health needs.

The "one in ten thousand" selection system rigorously selects individuals who are strong in all aspects

In terms of strain screening, COFCO Probiotics relies on a high-throughput screening platform centered around single-cell Raman sorting to establish over 70 evaluation models. These models have been used to scientifically select from over 10,000 strains sourced from across the country, achieving a "one-in-ten-thousand" selection rate. After undergoing three rigorous stages: mass screening, extreme survival testing in simulated human digestive tracts, and multidimensional functional and safety evaluations, only six strains stood out, with a screening pass rate of less than one in a thousand.

Taking one of the "185 hexagonal warrior" star strains as an example, the plant-derived Lactobacillus casei CCNH185 originates from Xinjiang's thousand-year-old fermented mare's milk. Due to its stable fermentation characteristics, ease of large-scale production, and outstanding performance in intestinal tolerance, inhibition of harmful bacteria, regulation of gut microbiota balance, and reduction of serum uric acid, CCNH185 acts like a "micro-ecological engineer" by improving the intestinal environment and regulating the overall microbiota to achieve synergistic effects. By the end of 2025, CCNH185 also obtained an invention patent authorization for "Plant-derived Lactobacillus casei with antibacterial efficacy and its application".

Currently, the probiotic raw materials from COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute can be applied to fermented dairy products, innovative foods, postbiotic products, such as soft candies, fruit juice, tea drinks, snacks, etc.; dietary supplements, such as probiotic powder, capsules, oral liquid, tablet candy, etc. In addition to providing a stable supply of high-activity, high-quality probiotic raw materials, we can also customize systematic product solutions according to customer needs, and provide supporting services such as professional testing, technical consultation, and production process adaptation. With raw materials as the core, coupled with full-process technical support, we aim to create a worry-free, efficient, and differentiated one-stop cooperative service for our customers.

With the help of probiotics from COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute, the market can quickly launch specialty products featuring "Chinese people, Chinese probiotics, COFCO probiotics", thereby accelerating the penetration of domestically produced strains in the terminal market.

The scientific research foundation behind COFCO Probiotics 03 - COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute

With access to top-tier domestic research resources, the COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute not only contributes internally but also opens its technology platform and strain resources to the outside world through technical cooperation, strain licensing, and other means in the future, further promoting the transformation of domestic probiotics from "expanding in size" to "strengthening in quality".

As the R&D hub for COFCO probiotics, COFCO Nutrition and Health Research Institute currently holds 30 national and provincial-level platform qualifications, including the National Key Laboratory for Non-grain Biomass Energy Technology, the Beijing Key Laboratory for Intelligent Creation of Synthetic Biological Manufacturing Components, and the Beijing Key Laboratory for High-efficiency Protein Synthesis and Biological Intelligent Manufacturing. It also boasts authoritative scientific research platforms such as a postdoctoral research station, a Beijing International Science and Technology Cooperation Base, and an Overseas High-level Talent Innovation and Entrepreneurship Base.

We aim to establish a new development pattern centered around high-level scientists and laboratories, with a smooth transformation pathway for scientific and technological achievements and technical services, and a robust industrial research and development service for the group's core businesses. In terms of focusing on strategic forward-looking R&D projects, we prioritize biotechnology and plan for three major industries: biomanufacturing, future health, and novel proteins. In serving the transformation and upgrading of COFCO's core businesses, we adhere to market orientation and technology orientation, focusing on categories such as grain, oil, sugar, wine, meat, and tea, providing one-stop technology research and development, product development services, and customer solutions; offering technical support and services in nutrition and metabolism, consumer and market research, food inspection and testing, among others.

Up to now, the research institute has won 2 second prizes of the National Science and Technology Progress Award and 1 gold award of China Patent Award; led 7 national key research and development projects during the 13th Five-Year Plan and 14th Five-Year Plan periods, and participated in 38 projects; holds 442 authorized patents in China and 12 valid patents overseas; and participated in the formulation and revision of 123 standards of various types. It has become the main executor of the national grain and oil food technology strategy.