EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA — CanBiocin announced Aug. 3 it has partnered with Healy Group, a global distributor of health and nutrition products, to offer its species-specific probiotic ingredients to pet food manufacturers in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

CanBiocin has recently submitted the product to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for approval, which it expects to be granted after meeting EFSA requirements and conducting third-party food safety and efficacy studies on its ingredients.

Testing against the EFSA requirements and internal benchmarks has proven CanBiocin’s probiotic ingredients offer several functional health benefits for companion animals. These include a stronger gut epithelial barrier; anti-inflammatory properties in the gastrointestinal tract; increased production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids; and the inhibition of foodborne pathogen growth in the gut, such as E. coli, Salmonella and Clostridia.

"The partnership with a highly regarded global distributor coupled with our EFSA submission are key to ensuring CanBiocin’s species-specific probiotics can benefit animals across Europe,” said J.F. (Jake) Burlet, DVM, chief executive officer at CanBiocin. “European manufacturers are eager to access to novel quality, naturally-sourced ingredients to incorporate into their products.”

According to CanBiocin, its business in North America is growing as it now looks to expand distribution in the United Kingdom. The company leveraged research conducted in the Netherlands, Ireland and North America, as well as the United Kingdom, to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of its species-specific probiotic ingredients for pets.

“The market potential for species-specific probiotics for our customers is immediately obvious,” said Gareth Healy, group sales director at Healy. “We are impressed with the investment, effort and progress that CanBiocin has made regarding EFSA regulatory approval.”

The company’s species-specific probiotics are manufactured in human-grade fermentation facilities and can be incorporated into pet food, treat and supplement formulas. The company was founded in 1998 with a focus on species-specific companion animal and livestock probiotic ingredient development to support animals’ microbial and overall health.

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