Improving gut health for consumers through innovative products like ió fibrewater.

Background

After transforming their own health with prebiotics, three friends, who personally experienced gut related health challenges founded The Prebiotic Company Ltd and launched ió fibrewater, the UK’s first prebiotic, fibre-infused water in May 2022. Their vision is to lead in the creation of gut health drinks and food products, leveraging the symbiotic relationship between prebiotics and probiotics to enhance gut and overall health.

Prebiotics, specific dietary fibres, play a vital role in nurturing probiotic bacteria, which collectively support gut health and overall well-being. With over 4,000 research papers demonstrating the benefits of prebiotics in supporting the immune system and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and colorectal cancer, as well as improving mood and sleep, ió fibrewater delivers 100% of the daily intake of prebiotics and 20% of an adult’s daily fibre intake.

The Challenge

The company’s collaboration with Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) aimed to validate the efficacy of their core product, ió fibrewater, and lay the groundwork for future product development. They sought to understand how ió fibrewater impacted different probiotics. As prebiotics feed beneficial microbes (probiotics), the company needed to know exactly how, and what probiotics responded to the core ió fibrewater recipe which would be crucial for expanding their product range.

The Solution

In meeting with several different academic partners identified by Interface, Dr. John Butcher and Dr. Ryan Kean from GCU proved to be ideal academic partners, possessing the necessary expertise and enthusiasm for the project. This collaboration not only provided funding for research but also enriched the academic portfolios of the researchers involved, providing an interdisciplinary project in the fields of microbiology and prebiotic food science. Additionally, it provided valuable experience for an undergraduate BSc Food Science student to generate preliminary work as part of their final year research project. Working with a newly launched, novel, prebiotic drink was an excellent opportunity for the student, providing a meaningful project as part of a larger piece of work.

The funding received for this collaboration allowed the purchase of key strains of probiotic bacteria, which now form part of the GCU bacterial culture collection to be used in future teaching and research projects at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The project also led to the development of lab methods that will translate to future projects. In addition, these strains have been utilised in public outreach activities including school visits and open evenings for the promotion of Food Science.

The collaboration yielded significant findings, which were released in November 2022 on GCUs social media platforms, promoting Food Science, academia and industry collaboration. The findings also bolstered investor interest for The Prebiotic Company and paved the way for further collaborations with academic and healthcare institutions.
GCU’s research findings are currently guiding the development of new product variants to add to the ió fibrewater product range.

The Benefits

Company Benefits

• The ability to scientifically validate the product, enhancing consumer confidence and strengthening brand credibility.
• New knowledge leading to the development of future products.
• Expanded product range and potential entry into the healthcare market.
• Increased investor interest and secured pre-seed investment.
• Interest from Universities of Roehampton and Aberdeen in further studies on ió fibrewater for managing type 2 diabetes and tumour growth.

Academic Benefits

• Interest from other academic and healthcare institutions for future studies.
• Enhanced academic portfolios and student experiences.
• Public engagement and promotion of Food Science.
• Enhanced reputation and networking opportunities within academia and industry.

Next Steps

• Investigate the effects of ió fibrewater on specific probiotic bacteria.
• Organise Food Science Innovation Workshops.
• Secure further funding for human trials assessing ió fibrewater’s impact on health metrics.
• Winners of the World Best Drink Innovation Award 2023 and secured £70K Scottish Edge funding in November 2023.
• ió fibrewater launched in Asda in March 2024, marking a significant milestone in its retail presence.

The personal health journeys of the company’s founders Mohsin Laginaf, Alyssa Reid and Jay Curthan continue to drive their commitment to improving gut health for consumers through innovative products like ió fibrewater.