Asian families have long been familiar with probiotics – live bacteria and yeasts, often added to yoghurts or taken as food supplements to restore the natural balance of the gut. This is largely thanks to Yakult, a fermented milk product that originated in Japan and has been sold door-to-door across Asia for decades.

These door-to-door sales are carried out by ‘Yakult Ladies’, of which there are more than 80,000 worldwide – including 40,000 in Japan. Yakult Ladies were originally hired as a sales-force to convince sceptical consumers that bacteria wasn’t always harmful – and, in fact, could be healthy. These women are trusted by local people because they are recruited from the same regions, so can communicate easily with households – not only about the products, but about issues related to their communities.

Now, with the ongoing urbanisation of Asia – plus higher disposable incomes and heightened consumer interest in health products – sales of commercial probiotics has increased. According to marketing intelligence company BCC Research, Asia Pacific leads the compounded annual growth rate for probiotics, with an anticipated 8.3% over five years. 

While Australia and Japan are among the largest markets for probiotics, China and India have experienced heightened awareness of the health benefits of these products. Across the region, probiotics in the form of dietary supplements, yoghurt and sour-milk products had a combined retail value of $17.6 billion in 2016. Figures from Euromonitor reveal that this market is expected to grow further in Japan ( 8%), South Korea ( 19%) and China ( 23%) by 2021.

 But while the trend for consumption is rising, data has indicated a widening gap in the different formats of probiotics sold, according to a report from the Institute on Asian Consumer Insight (ACI). The many dietary supplements imported into Asia from the US and Australia are in tablet form – but, in Asia, the swallowing of tablets is associated with treatment for sickness, rather than for staying in good health. 

What’s more, food is strongly linked to culture in Asia, and most foods are prepared fresh and consumed daily. Different foods are also perceived to have different effects on the body. ‘Heating’, ‘windy’ or ‘cooling’ effects all have perceived health benefits, and each element serves to manage the balance of ‘yin and yang’, the Chinese philosophy of complementary, opposing forces. This link between culture and food – as well as the perceived relationship between tablets and sickness – means there is a definite preference for probiotics in food, such as yoghurt or drinks, over tablets. 

Another option, says Cyndy Au – regional director of regulatory and scientific affairs, Asia Pacific, at DuPont Nutrition & Health, and an ACI fellow – is to develop sustainable probiotic strains that can be delivered in formats such as powder, which could be added to familiar local dishes such as soups, rice or porridge. 

According to Au, products have a higher chance of success if they are in a format that takes account of underlying cultural beliefs and don’t rely on a dramatic change in eating habits. If, by introducing them in this way, Asian consumers start to see probiotics as part of their daily diet, this could drive growth, she says.