While 2022 saw several seismic shifts in consumer behaviors, like health of the planet beating health of the population to the top consumer priority for the first time, 2023 looks set to be an evolution of these macro trends.

The science behind understanding what a "healthy" human microbiome looks like, how it is controlled or how it can be changed is an evolving area of research. Recipients of the Danone North America Fellowship Grant support these efforts by exploring how the gut microbiome, yogurt and probiotics help sustain human health and wellness through growth, development, and longevity.

Knutson will be responsible for brand marketing, awareness and growth for the company, while Olson will lead strategic network manufacturing, capacity planning, logistics network optimization and supply chain planning.

A total of 53% of global consumers are interested in beverages containing ingredients specific for immune support but want to see science-backed ingredients, citing vitamin blends, omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics as the top ingredients on their radar. 

Gut health and protein ingredients have a long future runway. “The spike in usage of vitamins and zinc parallels the rise in consumption of immunity supplements and indicates growth potential for immune health innovation,” according to Unlocking Insights Into the Supplement Consumer: 2022 Trends and Opportunities, a whitepaper produced by Marketplace. 

Higher diversity is the hallmark of a healthy gut microbiome. 

When it comes to probiotics and prebiotics, you could say today’s consumers are very pro. In fact, according to a 2020 report from Hyderabad, India-based Mordor Intelligence titled “Probiotics Market — Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact and Forecasts (2021-2026),” the global probiotic market is expected to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.08% during the forecast period of 2020-2025.

The Microsetta Initiative, a research project led by a team at the University of California, San Diego, in partnership with Danone Nutricia Research — the research and innovation division of Danone North America's global parent company, Danone S.A. — is recruiting hundreds of U.S. citizen scientists to map their gut microbiome.