Drinks
Juices, waters, sports and energy drinks, RTD shots. The ingredient survives pasteurisation and UHT and does not change over shelf life, which is why beverages are the fastest-growing use.
Guide · postbiotic ingredients
Postbiotic ingredients: what they are, how they are made, and how to put them in a product.
The B2B guide, written by a supplier.
Postbiotics are inactivated microorganisms and their components, used as an ingredient where live cultures cannot go: drinks, dairy, bakery, gummies, bars. This guide covers the definition, the types, the processing and stability advantages, dosing and quantification, the EU rules, and what to ask a supplier. Nordic Life Systems supplies the postbiotic MaestroBiome 01 from 10 kg.
In short
A postbiotic is a preparation of inactivated microorganisms and/or their components. Unlike a probiotic, nothing in it is alive, so it survives heat, acidity and long shelf life without a cold chain, and can be used in drinks, dairy, bakery and gummies. In the EU, no health claim is authorised for any postbiotic, and the Novel Food status of each inactivated strain must be checked. Nordic Life Systems supplies the postbiotic MaestroBiome 01 from 10 kg.
Definition
What a postbiotic is, and what it is not.
The scientific definition comes from the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), published in 2021 in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology.
“A preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host.”Salminen S. et al., Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 18, 649–667 (2021)
Three parts of the definition matter for a product developer:
- Inanimate. The microorganisms have been deliberately inactivated, usually by heat. A postbiotic is not a probiotic that died in storage; the inactivation is a defined, controlled process step.
- Microorganisms and/or their components. The preparation must contain inactivated cells or cell parts. Purified metabolites on their own (an organic acid, a vitamin, a bacteriocin) are not postbiotics under this definition, and neither are cell-free filtrates.
- A benefit shown for the inactivated form. Evidence for the live strain does not transfer automatically. ISAPP expects strain-level identification, a described inactivation method, and safety and efficacy data for the non-viable preparation itself.
Terms you will also see: paraprobiotic, tyndallised, heat-killed and heat-treated cultures all describe intact inactivated cells, the most common type of postbiotic. Ghost probiotics is a marketing term for the same thing.
Types
Four kinds of postbiotic preparation.
A 2026 classification proposed in AgroFOOD Industry Hi Tech divides postbiotics by what is actually in the powder. It is useful when comparing supplier specifications.
| Type | What is in it | Typical label of the spec | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complex preparation | Inactivated cells plus the fermentation medium, dried together | mg of powder; cells/g | Fermentates, whole-culture postbiotics, MaestroBiome 01 |
| Intact cells | Whole, non-viable cells separated from the medium | cells/g, often “billion cells” | Heat-killed lactobacilli, pasteurised Akkermansia |
| Fragmented cells | Cell lysates, cell-wall fractions | mg of powder | Lysates used in supplements and skin care |
| Metabolites with cells | Metabolite-rich preparations that still contain cell material | mg; sometimes a marker compound | Short-chain-fatty-acid-rich fermentates |
Postbiotic vs probiotic
Where a postbiotic beats a live culture, and where it does not.
| Probiotic | Postbiotic | |
|---|---|---|
| Viability | Live cells, counted as CFU | Inactivated cells, counted as cells/g or mg |
| Heat processing | Killed by pasteurisation, baking, extrusion | Survives UHT, baking, retort, tabletting |
| Low pH, water activity | Loses potency in drinks and moist foods | Stable in juices, dairy, gummies, bars |
| Storage | Often needs cool storage; CFU falls over shelf life | Ambient storage; no viable count to lose |
| Formats | Capsules, sticks, some dairy | Any format, including functional foods and drinks |
| Evidence base | Decades of strain-specific research | Smaller, growing; must be shown for the inactivated form |
| EU label wording | “Probiotic” tolerated in some member states only | “Postbiotic” has no EU position yet; treat like “probiotic” |
Applications
Where postbiotics are being used.
Innova Market Insights counted a 129% rise in food and drink launches with postbiotic claims between late 2019 and 2024, from a small base, with soft drinks making up almost half of the launches. Supplements remain the largest category.
Dairy and ice cream
Yoghurts, milk drinks, cheese spreads and ice cream, including products that are heat-treated after fermentation.
Bakery, bars and confectionery
Bread, biscuits, protein bars, chocolate and pectin gummies. Baking and extrusion temperatures are not a problem for an inactivated culture.
Supplements
Capsules, sticks, tablets and chewables, often combined with live probiotics, fibres or vitamins. The largest category by number of products.
Sports and infant nutrition
Protein powders and RTDs; heat-inactivated strains are used in infant formula in several markets. Each use needs its own regulatory check.
Pet food and cosmetics
Dog and cat supplements and feeds, and topical products using lysates. Different rules, same ingredient logic.
Dosing and quantification
How much, and how do you count it?
There is no CFU for an inactivated culture, so the specification language is different, and there is no single standard method yet.
Typical doses in commercial products
Published doses range from about 10 mg to 500 mg of postbiotic powder per day, or 10 to 100 billion inactivated cells per day, depending on the strain and the study behind it. MaestroBiome 01 is used at 100 mg per day. The dose should follow the evidence for that specific preparation, not a generic number.
Quantification methods
- Flow cytometry (ISO 19344 / IDF 232): counts total, active and non-active cells; results are reported as TFU (total fluorescent units) or cells/g. The most common method for intact-cell postbiotics.
- qPCR or digital PCR: confirms strain identity and gives genome equivalents per gram.
- Dry weight (mg): the practical unit for complex preparations that contain the fermentation medium.
- Viable count (CFU): used only to prove inactivation, with a maximum residual CFU per gram stated in the specification.
Ask a supplier which method their cells/g figure comes from. Two powders with the same number on the label can be measured in incompatible ways.
EU regulation
What you can say, and what you must check.
Two questions decide whether a postbiotic product can launch in the EU: is the ingredient a Novel Food, and what may the label say.
Novel Food
Pasteurised Akkermansia muciniphila is the reference case: EFSA gave its opinion in July 2021 and the Commission authorised it as a Novel Food in Regulation (EU) 2022/168, for food supplements and foods for special medical purposes, with a maximum daily dose and a limit on viable cells. For inactivated forms of long-used species such as Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus or L. paracasei, the EU catalogue has no entry on the inactivated form. The legal question is whether the production process changes the composition significantly (Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, Article 3). Our position: get a written answer per strain and process, through an Article 4 consultation or from the national authority, before launch. We support customers with the dossier for MaestroBiome 01.
Claims
No health claim is authorised in the EU for any postbiotic. The only microorganism-related claim on the EU register concerns live yoghurt cultures and lactose digestion. The Commission treats the word “probiotic” as an implied health claim; some member states tolerate it for live strains under conditions, Germany does not. “Postbiotic” has no official position, so the safe assumption is the same treatment. A postbiotic product can still carry authorised claims on other ingredients, for example vitamins or minerals, under Regulation (EC) 1924/2006.
One error that circulates online, including in AI-generated answers: no postbiotic has an EFSA-approved immune claim. The approvals that exist for some branded postbiotics are from Health Canada or Japan’s FFC system, not the EU.
Buying a postbiotic
What to ask a postbiotic supplier, and what we answer.
Which strains, and how were they inactivated?
MaestroBiome 01: Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG, then Lacticaseibacillus paracasei NPB-01, fermented one after the other in a patented two-step process (US patent 12,594,308, granted 2026), then inactivated and spray-dried.
What is the evidence for the inactivated form?
A 2026 peer-reviewed study (Microorganisms 14(4):931) compared the sequential preparation with single-strain postbiotics in intestinal cell models. Publications and the manufacturer’s product file on request.
Specification, stability, documents
Water-dispersible powder, 36 months shelf life at ambient temperature, Certificate of Analysis per batch, allergen and GMO declarations. Made in Italy under GMP.
Quantities and formats
From 10 kg as an ingredient. Or as a finished private-label product: capsules from 60,000 and stick sachets from 300,000; gummies, drinks and bars on request.
FAQ
Postbiotics, answered.
What is a postbiotic?
A preparation of inactivated microorganisms and/or their components, as defined by ISAPP in 2021. The cells have been deliberately inactivated, usually by heat; the preparation must still contain cells or cell components, not just metabolites.
Is a postbiotic the same as a dead probiotic?
No. A probiotic that lost viability in storage is simply a failed probiotic. A postbiotic is produced by a controlled inactivation step, with the evidence generated for the inactivated preparation.
What is the difference between a postbiotic and a paraprobiotic?
Paraprobiotic, tyndallised and heat-killed all describe intact inactivated cells, which is one type of postbiotic. Postbiotic is the wider term and also covers lysates and preparations that include the fermentation medium.
Are postbiotics Novel Foods in the EU?
It depends on the strain and the process. Pasteurised Akkermansia muciniphila is an authorised Novel Food. For inactivated forms of long-used species there is no catalogue entry, and the deciding question is whether the process changes the composition significantly. Get a written answer per ingredient before launch.
Can I write “postbiotic” on the label in the EU?
There is no EU-level position. The Commission treats “probiotic” as an implied health claim, with national exceptions for live strains, and “postbiotic” should be assumed to be treated the same way. In Germany, we advise against it on pack; a factual ingredient name is the safe route.
Which health claims are allowed for postbiotics?
None. No postbiotic has an authorised EU health claim. Products can carry authorised claims on other ingredients, such as vitamins and minerals.
How is a postbiotic quantified?
By flow cytometry (cells/g or TFU), by qPCR for identity and genome equivalents, or simply by milligrams of powder for complex preparations. CFU is used only to prove that the inactivation worked.
Does a postbiotic survive UHT, baking and pasteurisation?
Yes. Inactivated cells do not lose a viable count, so the usual process steps for drinks, dairy and bakery are not a problem. Stability of the specific preparation should still be confirmed in the finished product.
How long is the shelf life?
Typically two to three years at ambient temperature for a dried postbiotic powder. MaestroBiome 01 is specified at 36 months. No cold chain is needed.
What is the typical dose?
Commercial products use between about 10 mg and 500 mg of powder per day, or 10 to 100 billion inactivated cells, depending on the preparation. The dose should follow the studies on that specific preparation.
What does sequential fermentation add?
In sequential fermentation, the second strain is grown on the inactivated biomass of the first, instead of both strains being grown together or separately. In the 2026 study on MaestroBiome 01, the sequential preparation performed differently from the single-strain postbiotics in intestinal cell models. Publications on request.
Can postbiotics go into infant, sports or pet products?
Technically yes; heat-inactivated strains are already used in infant formula and pet supplements in several markets. Each category has its own rules, and infant nutrition in the EU requires specific authorisation.
What is the minimum order and lead time?
MaestroBiome 01 from 10 kg; samples on request. As a finished private-label product: capsules from 60,000, stick sachets from 300,000, other formats on request. Specifications, Certificate of Analysis, allergen and GMO declarations come with every delivery.