Jennewein Biotechnologie and Yili Group join forces in China for microbiome research and human milk oligosaccharides to bring innovation to the largest baby food market

Hohhot, China & Rheinbreitbach, Germany (ots) -

- China represents the largest market for baby food globally
- Human milk oligosaccharides are key for the development of a
healthy infant microbiome

Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH, the global leader in the research
and manufacture of human milk oligosaccharides (HMO), and Inner
Mongolia Yili Industrial Group (Yili Group), China's leading dairy
company, announce today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding
on infant microbiome and human milk oligosaccharides, with the goal
to develop an innovative infant formula and dairy products
specifically tailored to the Chinese market.

"After already having introduced human milk oligosaccharides in
other world regions, such as the key U.S. market and selected
European countries, we are very excited to work with Yili, the
domestic market leader for microbiome/baby food in China" stated Dr.
Stefan Jennewein, CEO and Co-Founder of Jennewein Biotechnologie.
"With 50% of the total global market volume (2021e: 76 billion US$)
China is presently the largest market for baby food. We are committed
to bringing the benefits of human milk oligosaccharides for the
development of a healthy infant microbiome to Chinese parents and
their children."

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) constitute the third largest
component of breast milk and are unique to humans in concentration
and structural diversity. HMOs possess several physiological effects;
they confer protection against infectious diseases (e.g. noro
viruses) and act as prebiotics for the development of the infant
microbiome. Today, it is widely recognized that the establishment of
a healthy microbiome is key for the overall development of an infant.
Failure to support a natural or healthy microbiome may potentially
lead to obesity, autism or allergy development in addition to other
existing issues in infant health and development. However, most
infant formulas do not contain HMOs as of today.

Dr Gerrit Smit, managing director of Yili Innovation Center Europe
stated: "Yili Group has been dedicated to Chinese breast milk
composition studies for years and has initiated the establishment of
a Chinese Breast Milk Database. Yili has constantly brought
innovative products to the market based on scientific research, for
example Pro-Kido, and is looking forward to collaborating with
Jennewein in the future."

About HMOs:

Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are complex sugar molecules
that are only present in breast milk. They are the third most
abundant constituent of human milk after lipids and lactose. More
than 200 structurally different HMOs have been identified. The most
abundant HMO is 2'-fucosyllactose, which is produced by about 80% of
all lactating mothers at concentrations of up to 2 g/L. Scientific
studies have shown that HMOs, and 2'-fucosyllactose in particular,
have a positive impact on infant development. HMOs are prebiotic,
i.e. they specifically promote the growth of beneficial
microorganisms, and at the same time they inhibit the growth of
pathogens. Jennewein Biotechnologie initially launched HMO
2'-fucosyllactose onto the global baby food market in 2015.

About Jennewein Biotechnologie:

As a leading international biotech company, Jennewein
Biotechnologie manufactures an extensive portfolio of innovative HMO
products (complex human oligosaccharides (HMOs) and rare
monosaccharides, such as 2'-fucosyllactose, 3-fucosyllactose and
lacto-N-tetraose. These rare sugars are used in the food industry
(particularly infant milk formulas), the pharmaceutical industry, and
the cosmetic industry. The manufacturing process involves
state-of-the-art fermentation techniques. The company is building one
of the largest fermentation plants in Central Europe. In 2015, the US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Jennewein Biotechnologie a
license to market 2'-fucosyllactose making it the first company to
introduce the first biotechnologically produced human oligosaccharide
into the infant feeding market in the United States. This was
followed in 2017 by European Union authorisation under the Novel Food
Regulation. Jennewein Biotechnologie works with most of the global
baby food companies, and several infant milk formulas around the
world now contain 2'-fucosyllactose (e.g. Abbott Similac).

About Yili Industrial Group:

According to Rabobank's Global Dairy Top 20 list, Yili Group is
the largest dairy company in Asia. Consistently ranking as the top
dairy company in China for years, Yili has the most complete product
categories in Chinese dairy industry. As the only Chinese dairy
company that meets both the Olympic and the World Expo standards,
Yili has successfully served the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the
2010 Shanghai World Expo. More than 100 million Yili products are
delivered to consumers each day, and more than 37 billion Yili
products are sold each year, including milk, yogurt, ice cream, and
milk powder products. By gathering global resources and building
networks in advanced dairy markets such as Europe, North America,
Oceania, and Asia, Yili has been constantly achieving R&D
innovations. Under the corporate philosophy "Yili represents the
highest quality", Yili has been advancing to become the most
trustable healthy food provider worldwide.

Media Contact:
Jennewein Biotechnologie
Dr. Bettina Gutierrez
bettina.gutierrez@jennewein-biotech.de
02224/98810797

Original-Content von: Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH, übermittelt durch news aktuell