Main Street Gourmet Launches New Probiotic Muffins

Leading baked goods manufacturer chooses probiotic ingredient, GanedenBC30, to power new raisin bran probiotic muffins.

I noticed how other companies were including probiotics in their products and I wondered if we could accomplish the same results with our muffins.

Cuyahoga Falls, OH (PRWEB) June 25, 2008 -- Main Street Gourmet, one of the fastest growing manufacturers of gourmet frozen bakery products, has introduced Activate -- a new raisin bran muffin fortified with the high-survivability probiotic, GanedenBC30 (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086). The new probiotic muffins will be sold at retail and are being positioned as an easy way to promote digestive health.

"The Probiotic That Can Take It"

Main Street Gourmet's CEO, Harvey Nelson, explains the creation of the new probiotic muffins, "I noticed how other companies were including probiotics in their products and I wondered if we could accomplish the same results with our muffins."

While probiotics are commonly found in dairy products, adding them to baked goods is an entirely new application that Ganeden Labs, the manufacture of GanedenBC30, and Main Street are jointly spearheading. Nelson continues, "At first I was a bit skeptical, however after collaborating with Ganeden Labs, we were able to do something no company had done before. We found a method to add probiotic bacteria to our mixing andrr baking process without affecting the muffin's taste or texture. That's a big deal in the baking business."

Ganeden Labs has dubbed GanedenBC30 as "The Probiotic That Can Take It" since it can survive harsh manufacturing processes as well as the acid and bile of the digestive system. Ganeden's Co-Founder and Chief Scientist, Sean Farmer explains that, "GanedenBC30 stands apart from other traditional probiotics because it's spore-forming - meaning that inside the bacterial cell is a hardened structure, or spore, which is similar to a seed. This spore, or seed, protects the cell's genetic material against manufacturing, shelf life and digestive transit. Other traditional probiotics are not able to form these protective spores, making them more vulnerable. Because of its unique composition, GanedenBC30 is able to reach the intestines in greater numbers and begin to colonize better than many other current probiotic strains available."

An independent panel of scientists has found GanedenBC30 to be Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) in use as a food ingredient. In clinical studies, GanedenBC30 has been shown to aid digestion and improve immune function when used regularly. Companies such as Main Street Gourmet continue to provide evidence that GanedenBC30 can be successfully added to many probiotic foods and beverages.

The new Activate raisin bran probiotic fortified muffins are available for grocery store distribution for retail sale in 4-pack clamshells under Main Street's retail division, Isabella's Healthy Bakery. Isabella's president, Monica Curtis, comments on the addition of GanedenBC30, "For many years, we've been focusing on taking things out of our muffins. Now the opposite is true. We've started to enhance them with nutrients to offer consumers the best of both worlds -- a muffin that not only tastes good, but is also good for you. With so much attention now on digestive health, creating a probiotic muffin just made sense."

About Main Street Gourmet:
Founded in 1987 in Akron, Ohio, Main Street Gourmet is a manufacturer of gourmet frozen bakery products specializing in the development of custom formulations for large regional and national restaurant chains. The rapidly growing company features extensive product lines sold in both the retail and foodservice markets that include muffins, brownies, cookies, biscotti and granola.

Isabella's Healthy Bakery, the retail division of Main Street Gourmet, is a supplier of healthy baked goods including muffins, cookies and cakes. They specialize in sugar free, fat free, no sugar added and whole grain categories.

About Ganeden Labs:
Established in 2006, Ganeden Labs is the licensing and development division of Ganeden Biotech, the largest seller of over-the-counter probiotic bacteria in the United States. Ganeden Labs makes proprietary, patented probiotic technology available for use in innovative products in a wide range of industries. Ganeden Labs also maintains an extensive intellectual property portfolio with patent and trademark protection for an array of technologies all over the world. GanedenBC30 and its related patents are available for license in functional foods and beverages, supplements, animal health and topical applications.

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