Prebiotic claims on new product launches have jumped 210% in the past year five years according to Mintel GNPD data2 driving consumer awareness of biotics and gut health While this should be great news for biotics manufacturers, we know that marketing ploys and less than efficacious products flooding the marketplace can rob consumers of their trust as they deserve better than that. At COMET, we strive to be better than that, as evidenced by Arrabina’s new NutraStrong™ Prebiotic Verified certification.
By the Numbers: As of this year, there were 16,756 registered clinical trials on dietary supplements—and as many as 100,000 supplements on the market2.
This means that roughly 16.7% of the supplements you see on shelves (at most) have been clinically tested. Sadly, these numbers illustrate a story that does not offer the consumer any assurances about biotic product claims, and they are rightfully growing more skeptical about what they see on shelf. For example, this year’s Poppi lawsuit shed light on the issues of companies “fairy dusting” products with prebiotic doses below the efficacious tested amounts
It would be helpful if we could assume that all supplements have been the subject of at least one quality
research trial – ideally one that aligns with the gold standard for efficacy: a double-blind, randomized,
controlled clinical trial (DBRCT) on people – but oftentimes that investment is simply out of reach for
companies, and due to the nature of the supplement industry, is not a requirement. On the contrary,
pharmaceuticals that are intended to cure, treat, or prevent disease, are required by regulatory bodies
like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct clinical trials on humans. Supplements get a
pass since they are not approved by the FDA. Therefore, many products rely upon less critical evidence,
animal studies, cell studies, etc. to make health claims that may or may not even apply to humans within
the formulations they may be distributing.
“The prebiotic category needs more rigor and transparency, and we are confident enough in our Arrabina® to place it under the highest level of scientific scrutiny by having reviewed and certified by NutraStrong,” states Andrew Richard, COMET’s Founder and Chief Technology Officer. Created with the support of the Global Prebiotic Association, the Prebiotic Verified certification stands to differentiate legitimate products from those that do not contain efficacious ingredients as well as provide needed transparency and stewarding for emerging categories like prebiotics.
The NutraStrong™ Certification Program is built on four pillars:
- Testing Standards: Verified lab consistency of action and compliance with industry standards
- Manufacturing Quality: Good Manufacturing Quality (GMP) as proof of current manufacturing compliance, supply chain quality and integrity
- Label Compliance: Labeling regulatory compliance
- Corporate Value’s: Demonstration of corporate stewardship
COMET stands for legitimacy in the market with continued research to refine the product and provide consumers with true efficacy before making claims and putting it out into circulation. With this certification, COMET can offer extra assurance to customers around our prebiotic composition and claims.
A Review of Our Science
Double-blind, crossover randomized control trial1
Overview: 36 healthy individuals consumed Arrabina® at 7.5 grams or 15 grams per day or a placebo. They ranked eight areas for GI discomfort including gas, bloating, and nausea to compare any potential differences. Even at a high dosage of 15 grams per day, there were no statistical differences in GI distress between the participants taking Arrabina versus placebo.
Overview: Using Cryptobiotix ’s ex-vivo SIFR® technology, gut microbiota of 6 different donors was assessed after 24 hours of consuming Arrabina® against a no-substrate control and a reference prebiotic (inulin). Arrabina® was shown to stimulate greater production beneficial short-chain fatty acids with less gas production. Read more here.
Why is the Prebiotic Verified certification great for manufacturers?
The certification allows you to expedite a product’s prebiotic-verified certification by NutraStrong™
when formulations contain at least 3.6 grams of Arrabina® per serving. Additionally, at 3.6 grams,
Arrabina® has excellent solubility, low viscosity and an easy way to create delicious products while
strengthening nutrition labels and sustainability claims.
Reach out to learn more about how COMET’s plant fiber extracts can support your business.
1. Chen O, Blonquist T, Sanoshy K, Kelley K, Mah E. The Effect of Arabinoxylan on Gastrointestinal Tolerance in Generally Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study, Volume 5, Issue Supplement_2, June 2021, Page 304.
2. Mintel GNPD, September 2019-September 2024.
3. Ex vivo model of intestinal fermentation, Cryptobiotix study, data on file (2024).
