Unilever partners biotech firm to develop ingredients that could improve mental wellbeing

Unilever has announced a new partnership with Holobiome, a biotechnology company developing microbiome-based therapeutics for mental health.

The food major said it will work with the gut microbiome experts at Massachusetts, US based Holobiome to identify food and drink ingredients that could have a positive impact on mental wellbeing by targeting the gut-brain axis.

The gut-brain axis allows communication between the gastrointestinal tract, the microbes within it, and the brain. A major driver of this communication is the exchange of chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters and their precursors; these neurotransmitters can have a stimulatory or calming effect on the body. Using its discovery platform to map the microbiome and its influences, Holobiome has identified key bacteria that appear to communicate to the brain via neurotransmitter signalling in the gut.

The Unilever partnership aims to identify specific food ingredients that interact with these key bacteria. The company said it plans to enhance these ingredients in certain foods and refreshment products across it portfolio in the long-term.

“More than 70% of consumers are concerned that stress and anxiety are having an impact on their health. In turn, consumers are increasingly seeking food and drink products that can have a positive impact on their overall health and mental wellbeing,” Carla Hilhorst, Executive Vice President R&D Foods & Refreshment at Unilever, said.

“Through our partnership with Holobiome, we look forward to understanding more about the way ingredients interact with the gut microbiome. This research offers exciting opportunities for our future food and drink formulations enabling us to deliver boldly healthier products.”

Many scientists now consider the gut microbiome – the trillions of microbes that live inside us – an an essential organ with 70 per cent of the immune system existing in the gut, and 90 per cent of the body’s mood elevating serotonin produced there.

Philip Strandwitz, Holobiome CEO and co-founder said, “Everyone knows the saying ‘You are what you eat’. The microbiome is an important part of that relationship, and it appears to impact nearly every aspect of our biology. As such, it’s important to understand how the food we eat influences our microbial passengers and the important functions they perform.

“If we can map this out at an individual ingredient level, there’s an opportunity to make more informed dietary choices and improve health via multiple marketplaces.”