ADM introduced a new generation of postbiotic ingredients at Vitafoods Europe 2025, anchoring its strategy to meet demand for functional foods that support healthy aging through gut-brain wellness, metabolic health, and everyday dietary formats. The ingredient supplier’s Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 postbiotic and its award-winning ES1 postbiotic are both backed by clinical evidence demonstrating support for stress, sleep, digestion, and immune function.

The company’s Healthy Aging Report 2026 revealed that 78 percent of global consumers recognize sleep quality as directly connected to long-term health, while 73 percent identified stress management as critical to healthy aging.

Postbiotics differ from probiotics in that they do not contain live microorganisms, making them resilient through high heat, moisture, and pressure during food manufacturing processes.

ADM Introduces Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 for Stress, Mood, and Sleep Support

ADM showcased its Lactobacillus gasseri CP2305 postbiotic at Vitafoods Europe 2025 in Geneva, emphasizing its clinical validation for mental wellness through the gut-brain axis. The postbiotic was highly commended in the Cognitive and Emotional Health Ingredient category at the inaugural Vitafoods Europe Innovation Awards.

Clinical research published in 2024 indicated that supplementing with L. gasseri CP2305 may support emotional well-being and reduced stress in adults. Exploratory studies suggested associations with better sleep efficiency, reduced sleep latency, improved overall sleep quality, and increased total sleep duration.

Two additional clinical trials examined the effects on women during different life stages. For healthy young women with an average age of 21.5 experiencing premenstrual symptoms, L. gasseri CP2305 postbiotic was associated with positive mood changes and potentially reduced stress or anxiety. It also showed potential to improve skin appearance in the same population.

For women experiencing menopause, the postbiotic was linked to positive changes in physiological and emotional parameters, according to ADM’s vice president of medical affairs, Dr. Richard Day, who presented findings at Vitafoods on May 20, 2025.

Research involving male athletes indicated that the postbiotic may support improved stress response and recovery from exercise.

ES1 Postbiotic Wins Immune and Gut Health Ingredient at Vitafoods Europe Innovation Awards

ADM’s heat-treated postbiotic Bifidobacterium longum CECT 7347, branded as ES1, won the Immune and Gut Health Ingredient category at the 2025 Vitafoods Europe Innovation Awards. The judging panel deemed the ingredient a game-changer for immune and gut health support.

Marie-Bénédicte Charpentier, marketing director and head of EMEA at ADM, stated that the win represents the company’s ongoing commitment to science-backed innovation through robust research into the gut microbiome.

ES1 postbiotic had previously earned recognition at the 2024 Fi Europe Innovation Awards, where it won the Health Innovation category. It was also a finalist for the Best Health Innovation Award in the 2024 World Food Innovation Awards organized by FoodBev Media.

The postbiotic’s formulation resilience allows manufacturers to incorporate it into beverages, baked goods, nutrition bars, gummies, and other applications that would typically compromise the viability of live probiotics.

Clinical Trials Validate the Efficacy of ADM’s ES1 Postbiotic for Digestive Health

A 2024 clinical study published in Gut Microbes demonstrated that ES1 postbiotic may support overall gut and digestive health while potentially reducing bloating. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical trial involved adults with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome.

The trial employed a three-arm design that included both the live probiotic and the heat-treated postbiotic versions of Bifidobacterium longum. Results showed clinically meaningful improvements in IBS-Symptom Severity Scale scores and quality of life for participants receiving ES1 postbiotic supplementation compared to placebo.

Dr. Day noted that across nearly all endpoints measured, the study revealed an almost equivalent effect for both the probiotic and the postbiotic, which he described as unexpected. He confirmed that the specific postbiotic demonstrated an almost identical profile to its live probiotic counterpart in that population.

A separate three-arm randomized controlled trial examined ADM’s BPL1 postbiotic, which is a heat-treated Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis CECT8145. That study, conducted with a focus on metabolic endpoints, showed subtly different clinical effects between the probiotic and postbiotic forms.

The BPL1 postbiotic demonstrated slightly more positive effects around glucose homeostasis, while the live probiotic showed a slightly larger effect for reductions in body mass index.

The Role of Microbiome Solutions in Shaping Future Functional Food Innovations

Resilient microbiome solutions like postbiotics and spore-forming probiotics are establishing a foundation for future health and wellness offerings, according to ADM’s research team. The company emphasized that consumers increasingly prefer healthy aging support through everyday food and beverage experiences rather than relying exclusively on supplement formats.

ADM’s research indicated that consumers are particularly interested in ready-to-drink teas, shakes, baked goods, gummies, and snacks that fit naturally into existing routines. This reflects a broader shift toward lifestyle-led wellness, where consistency, convenience, and enjoyment are critical to building long-term health habits, similar to trends in mental resilience strategies.

At Fi Europe 2025 in Paris from December 2-4, 2024, ADM showcased several functional food and beverage concepts incorporating its postbiotic ingredients. A stress and sleep fast-melt formulation included L. gasseri CP2305 postbiotic in a rapid-dissolution format that requires no water.

An instant powder tea mix called Zerentea, designed to stir into hot or cold water, featured both L. gasseri CP2305 postbiotic and Fibersol prebiotic dietary fiber from ADM/Matsutani LLC.

Zen Gummies, a sleep-support concept, combined L. gasseri CP2305 postbiotic with chamomile and lemon balm extracts in a format designed to integrate into nightly routines.

Bastian Hörmann, global marketing director for sweet goods, dairy, and specialized nutrition at ADM, confirmed that the company’s research found the top two nutrients global consumers seek to increase are fiber at 69 percent and protein at 66 percent. These desires align with the emerging fibermaxxing trend, which can be addressed with ingredients like Fibersol prebiotic dietary fiber.

Fibersol is well-tolerated up to 68 grams per day, promoting the growth of gut microbes that have been positively associated with health, according to ADM’s technical documentation.

The company also highlighted its Tradcon SE, a non-GMO, European-sourced powdered soy protein concentrate launched in 2024. The ingredient delivers protein content exceeding 68 percent, high fiber, and a complete amino acid profile with excellent water and fat binding capabilities, salt stability, clean taste, and neutral color.

ADM’s extended chicken hot dog concept features Tradcon SE to reduce reliance on meat without compromising quality or satisfaction. A plant-based chicken drumstick concept uses the company’s high-quality textured vegetable protein Soprotex-N Slices and textured soy protein concentrate Tradcon T 171.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are postbiotics and how do they differ from probiotics?

Postbiotics are preparations of inanimate microorganisms or their components that confer health benefits on the host, according to the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics. They differ from probiotics because they do not contain live microorganisms, which makes them more stable through manufacturing processes involving high heat, moisture, pressure, and shear. The global postbiotic market was valued at 1.6 billion dollars in 2021 and is expected to reach 3 billion dollars by 2031, according to Allied Market Research. Postbiotics retain efficacy through virtually any formulation environment, from high heat to high water content, allowing them to be incorporated into a wider range of food and beverage products than traditional probiotics.

How can postbiotics support healthy aging?

Postbiotics support healthy aging by targeting interconnected wellness areas including cognitive function, sleep quality, stress management, digestive health, metabolic wellness, and immune function. Clinical research demonstrates that specific postbiotic strains like ADM’s L. gasseri CP2305 may support mental well-being through the gut-brain axis, while ES1 postbiotic may support digestive health and potentially reduce bloating. The gut-brain connection plays a crucial role in maintaining mental resilience and physical capability over time. Postbiotics can be easily incorporated into everyday foods and beverages, enabling consumers to maintain consistent wellness habits rather than relying solely on supplement regimens, much like approaches to reducing dementia risk through lifestyle changes.

What are the potential health benefits of ADM’s ES1 postbiotic?

ADM’s ES1 postbiotic, which is heat-treated Bifidobacterium longum CECT 7347, has demonstrated potential benefits for immune and gut health based on clinical research published in 2024. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving adults with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome showed clinically meaningful improvements in symptom severity scores and quality of life compared to placebo. The study indicated that ES1 postbiotic may support overall gut and digestive health while potentially reducing bloating. The postbiotic’s resilience through manufacturing processes allows it to be incorporated into a wide variety of functional foods and beverages without losing efficacy, expanding the ways consumers can access digestive health support in their daily routines.

Conclusion

ADM’s postbiotic innovations represent a significant development in the functional food industry, addressing consumer demands for products that support healthy aging through accessible, everyday formats. The clinical validation of ingredients like L. gasseri CP2305 and ES1 postbiotic provides manufacturers with science-backed solutions for developing functional foods and beverages that target stress, sleep, digestive health, and metabolic wellness.

The shift toward postbiotics reflects broader trends in the health and wellness sector, where consumers seek lifestyle-led solutions that combine efficacy with convenience and enjoyment. By offering formulation resilience that enables incorporation into familiar products like teas, gummies, and baked goods, postbiotics remove traditional barriers associated with live probiotics.

With global healthcare costs constituting 10 percent of global GDP and 4 trillion dollars annually in the United States, proactive approaches to well-being through functional foods are positioned to play an increasingly important role. ADM’s expansion of microbiome research and product development aligns with the company’s strategy to meet emerging health needs across different life stages and lifestyles.