MORINAGA-MILK-INDUSTRY
Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd. (TOKYO:2264), a leading Japanese dairy product company, today announced its proprietary probiotic Bifidobacterium infantis M-63 was approved by the National Health Commission (NHC) of the People’s Republic of China as a new food ingredient for use in infant and children foods (under the age of three) on 25 July, 2024. This approval marks a significant milestone for the company, making it the only Japanese firm to have three bifidobacteria strains registered for use in China’s infant and toddler food market1.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240808893280/en/
Bifidobacterium infantis M-63 is a unique probiotic strain of human-residential bifidobacteria (HRB) – bifidobacteria that naturally reside in the human gut – and is renowned for its ability to utilize human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) found in breast milk, significantly improving the intestinal environment of healthy full-term infants. (Graphic: Business Wire)
*1 Source: Public announcement published on the website of the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment (August 5, 2024)
The newly registered Bifidobacterium infantis M-63 joins Morinaga Milk’s other approved strains, Bifidobacterium breve M-16V and Bifidobacterium longum BB536. All three strains are now permitted for use in foods for children under three years old in China, meeting the country's stringent nutritional and safety standards.
Expanding Global Presence
This approval aligns with Morinaga Milk’s 10-year vision to become a globally recognized company with a significant international presence. As part of this vision, the company aims to achieve a Global Business sales ratio of 15% or more by the fiscal year ending in March 2029. The approval of Bifidobacterium infantis M-63 represents a strategic step towards this goal, allowing Morinaga Milk to strengthen its bacteria business in the Chinese market, which accounts for more than 40% of the global formula milk market and is the second-largest supplement market worldwide2.
*2 Source: Survey by Euromonitor International (May 2024), based on retail sales prices
Health Benefits of Bifidobacterium infantis M-63
Bifidobacterium infantis M-63 is a unique probiotic strain of human-residential bifidobacteria (HRB) – bifidobacteria that naturally reside in the human gut – and is renowned for its ability to utilize human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) found in breast milk, significantly improving the intestinal environment of healthy full-term infants. With China's recent approval of HMO use in formula milk in October 20233, the combination of Bifidobacterium infantis M-63 and HMO is expected to support the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria, enhancing the development and health of infants and toddlers4.
*3 Source: National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China, No. 8, 2023 (Sept. 22, 2023)
*4 Source: Mintel, “HMOs approval in China infant formula is a game changer” (Jan. 2024)
Probiotics strain of bifidobacteria registered as New Food Ingredients in China |
|
Strain |
Registration date |
Bifidobacterium breve M-16V Registered name: 短双歧杆菌 M-16V |
2016 |
Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum BB536 Registered name: 长双歧杆菌长亚种 BB536 |
2022 |
Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis M-63 Registered name: 长双歧杆菌婴儿亚种M-63 |
2024 |
* All three strains are approved for use in foods for infants and toddlers under the age of three. |
|
Commitment to Quality and Research
Morinaga Milk has been at the forefront of bifidobacteria research since discovering Bifidobacterium longum BB536 in 1969. The company leads globally in the number of clinical research papers on bifidobacteria, underlining its commitment to advancing scientific understanding and improving public health.
Future Prospects
The registration of Bifidobacterium infantis M-63 paves the way for its use in a wide range of products. Morinaga Milk plans to leverage this approval to expand collaborations with major formula milk manufacturers and promote supplements and other related products in China and globally. By providing accurate information on the benefits of Bifidobacterium infantis M-63 to consumers and partners, Morinaga Milk aims to enhance the health and nutrition of people worldwide.
About Morinaga Milk Industry
Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd. is one of the leading dairy product companies in Japan, with over a century of history in harnessing the nutritional properties of dairy products and functional ingredients. Morinaga Milk is also a key global probiotics manufacturer that excels in innovative technology and offers a premium line of probiotics and functional ingredients worldwide. Since the 1960s, Morinaga Milk has been engaged in research on the safety, functional health benefits, and mechanisms of action of probiotic bifidobacteria to better understand their role in maintaining human health. For more information about Morinaga Human-Residential Bifidobacteria (HRB) probiotics, please visit us at https://morinagamilk-ingredients.com/.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240808893280/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Zycus Named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Source-to-Pay Suites23.1.2026 20:00:00 CET | Press release
This acknowledgment reflects Zycus’ momentum in Agentic AI, comprehensive S2P suite, brand trust and customer outcomes. Zycus, a global provider in Source-to-Pay (S2P) technology, today announced that it has been recognized as a Leaderin the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Source-to-Pay Suites. We believe the report points to Zycus’ continued investment in Merlin Intake to streamline user experience and Agentic AI to support workflows such as tail-spend management via autonomous negotiation. This aligns with Zycus’ “Intake to Outcomes” (I2O) belief: simplify how work enters procurement, orchestrate execution with Agentic AI, and deliver outcomes with the right governance and control. “Being recognized as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Source-to-Pay Suites reflects our long-term commitment to innovation, customer outcomes, and responsible AI,” said Aatish Dedhia, Founder & CEO of Zycus. “Merlin Agentic AI is designed to move beyond task automation towards end-to-end outcom
Bureau Veritas to Acquire a Leading Sustainability Specialist for Consumer Products in Italy23.1.2026 18:13:00 CET | Press release
Bureau Veritas, a global leader in Testing, Inspection, and Certification services (TIC), announces the acquisition of SPIN360, a leading Italian consulting firm specialized in sustainable innovation and development across primary premium fashion and luxury brands. This acquisition aligns with Bureau Veritas’ LEAP | 28 strategy to create new strongholds in the Consumer Product Services (CPS) industry, and to accelerate its growth in key markets such as Italy. The transaction will deliver on value creation opportunities, by combining SPIN360's proprietary Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools and data-driven advisory services with Bureau Veritas' certification and supply chain auditing expertise. It will also help position Bureau Veritas as a global center of excellence for premium fashion and luxury. Created in 2009 and based in Milan, SPIN360 provides technical advisory services covering LCA, life cycle costing, environmental product declarations, carbon footprint, supply chain engagement
HCLTech to Acquire Singapore-based Finergic to Boost Digital Transformation Offerings for Wealth Management Industry23.1.2026 17:55:00 CET | Press release
HCLTech, a leading global technology company, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Finergic Solutions Pte Ltd, a boutique wealth consulting firm headquartered in Singapore. The transaction is expected to close by April 30, 2026. Founded in 2019, Finergic focuses on core banking and wealth management transformation and has a strong, well-established global presence. The addition of Finergic’s niche capabilities, combined with the scale of HCLTech, is expected to unlock stronger synergies and enhance service delivery across the financial services and wealth management industry. HCLTech brings 25+ years of global experience in serving leading financial institutions. By integrating Finergic’s specialized transformation strategy, consulting and wealth-architecture capabilities, HCLTech will accelerate the delivery of next-generation, platform-enabled wealth management solutions anchored by advanced AI-native workflows. These capabilities will complement HCLTe
Saudi Arabia to Host World Economic Forum Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting: Building Common Ground and Reviving Growth on 22-23 April 202623.1.2026 16:29:00 CET | Press release
Saudi Arabia will host the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting: Building Common Ground and Reviving Growth in Jeddah on 22-23 April 2026, it was announced on the closing day of the 56th Annual Meeting of the Forum in Davos, Switzerland. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260123725881/en/ HE Faisal F. Alibrahim, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning, announces that the Kingdom will host the World Economic Forum Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting in Jeddah in April 2026 (Photo: AETOSWire) His Excellency Faisal F. Alibrahim, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning today confirmed the details for the regular high-level WEF meeting, which was announced at the 2025 WEF Annual Meeting. Calling for pragmatism and collaboration against a backdrop of geopolitical fragmentation, HE Alibrahim said “stability can’t be quickly built, and it can’t be bought”. “Stability need
Philip Morris International Urges FDA Advisory Committee to Recommend Authorizing ZYN as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product23.1.2026 15:15:00 CET | Press release
In January 2025, ZYN became the first nicotine pouch product authorized for marketing by the FDA Experts from Philip Morris International (PMI) (NYSE: PM) yesterday presented scientific evidence to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee (TPSAC) as part of the FDA’s process for a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) designation for their ZYN nicotine pouch products. This designation would allow PMI’s U.S. family of businesses to communicate to U.S. legal-aged, 21+ adult cigarette smokers that switching completely to ZYN reduces their risk of many smoking-related diseases and we look forward to a decision by FDA. "The FDA’s Center for Tobacco Product’s (CTP) mission is to make smoking-related disease and death a part of America’s past,” said Keagan Lenihan, Chief External Affairs Officer for PMI U.S. “Smoke-free products, like ZYN, play a critical role in helping CTP achieve this mission and provide adults who smoke with important inf
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom