Chr. Hansen Receives HIE Award

HOERSHOLM, DenmarkChr. Hansen received the Health Ingredients Excellence Award in the sports performance category during HI Europe, recognizing the company's PCC® probiotic strain that works to support athletes' immune health. The HIE Awards recognize innovative ingredients in the nutrition and nutraceutical industry.

"We are very proud to receive this prestigious award," said Sune Schmoelker, commercial development director, Human Health & Nutrition, Chr. Hansen. "Probiotics are today used more mainstream in yogurts and standard dietary supplements, and the benefits have not yet been reaped by the sports nutrition industry. PCC is a probiotic strain showing effect within sports nutrition and is clinically documented in placebo-controlled studies to reduce illness in athletes after training."

Among the scientific support for PCC is a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study in competitive distance runners conducted at the Australian Institute of Sport (Br J Sports Med. 2010 Mar;44(4):222-6). Researchers found oral administration of PCC in supplements over a four-month period during winter training substantially reduced the number of days and severity of respiratory illness in the athletes. Another study conducted at the Australian Institute of Sport recently found PCC reduced symptoms of lower respiratory illness in male competitive cyclists; the study has not yet been published.

L. fermentum PCC is owned by Probiomics Ltd. in Gordon, Australia; it exclusively licensed the ingredient to Chr. Hansen in 2009. PCC is now produced and marketed globally as an innovative and clinically documented active health care ingredient for the premium section of the sports nutrition industry.