Early human microbiome studies overlooked the mammary glands, but in 2000 the discovery of lactobacilli in healthy breast milk shifted scientific attention towards Human Milk Probiotics (HMPs) and their benefits on maternal and infant health. HMPs are the live beneficial bacteria that are naturally present in breast milk.
Over the past number of years, HMPs have seen a surge in scientific interest, driven by growing awareness of the microbiome’s role in maternal and early-life health and immunity. Recently, the science on HMPs was presented by Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute experts at two industry conferences, ChinaGut in Zhejiang, China, and Growth Asia Summit in Singapore.
ChinaGut 2025
The ChinaGut 2025 conference with the theme of “GUTSY Young, Bright Future “, was held from June 6 – 8, 2025 at the Ningbo International Conference Center, Zhejiang, China. This year’s event featured over 30 academic sessions, more than 10 industry-focused sessions, and fourteen key scientific areas including the microbiome, nutrition, digestive system diseases, and immunity.
Dr. Jaume Núñez, Product Manager for Vegetative Probiotics at Kerry, presented the latest scientific research on HMPs as well as providing market trends and consumer insights. Breast milk is the gold standard of infant nutrition, containing all nutrients required to support a baby’s healthy growth. However, many mothers lack support or experience difficulties in breastfeeding leading to infants not reaping the benefits of consuming breast milk.
One of the top reasons why women stop breastfeeding is due to mastitis. Mastitis occurs in approximately 10-20% of mothers who are breastfeeding. Dr. Núñez highlighted that mastitis is associated with a dysbiosis in the microbiota in breast ducts. Research findings presented showed the benefits of HMPs supplementation (specifically Lactobacillus) for the prevention and treatment of mastitis, as well as improving infant health. HMPs are believed to play a role in antimicrobial defense by inhibiting bacterial growth. Other potential mechanisms of action include increasing the abundance of microbes which produce favourable metabolites, reducing intestinal dysbiosis, and activating the host’s immune response.
A comment from Dr. Núñez:
“Over half of Asian female supplement consumers are seeking alternative solutions to support their pregnancy and breastfeeding journey. When a mother’s microbiota is transmitted to her baby, this plays a key role in immune system development, allergy and asthma prevention, and nutrient absorption. Therefore, the addition of HMPs may play an important role for bottle-fed babies. We need to keep deepening into HMPs mechanisms of action and how they adapt to the different metabolic and immune characteristics of a woman or a child.”
Growth Asia Summit 2025
At the recent Growth Asia Summit 2025 in Singapore in July, two main research topics stood out namely Healthy Ageing, particularly the role of cellular interventions in extending people’s health span versus lifespan, and Women’s Health, with strong focus on nutrition across life stages. A presentation on HMPs and their positive impact on maternal and infant health was given by Dr Mónica Maria Olivares, RDA Director of Women’s and Infant Health at Kerry. The audience heard about the fast-growing probiotics market in the Asia Pacific region.
Dr. Olivares followed on by emphasizing the importance of an infant’s first 1,000 days of life, i.e. from conception to two years, for lifelong health. Similar with what Dr. Núñez discussed in China, one of Dr. Olivares key messages was that breast milk provides essential nutrients and probiotics that nurture an infant’s gut and immunity.
Research documenting the benefits of HMPs such as enhanced infant gut microbiome development and improved resistance to gastrointestinal and respiratory infections was presented. Different mechanisms, such as the competition with pathogenic bacteria, production of antimicrobial compounds, maturation of the immune system, and improvement of the immune response, have been attributed to the anti-infectious activity of HMPs.
In summary, our understanding on the health benefits of HMPs for mothers and infants continues to evolve. Further research will give further insights into their health promoting effects and may elucidate the distinct mechanisms of action for specific strains. Subsequently, this will increase the availability of targeted products to support mothers and infants through breastfeeding.
Contributors:
Jaume Núñez, PhD
Product Manager for Vegetative Probiotics at Kerry
Jaume Núñez is a Medical Doctor and holds a MBA in Business Administration. He is globally leading the Human Milk Probiotics (HMPs) technology within Kerry's ProActive Health division. Jaume brings a strong skill set spanning the healthcare industry, entrepreneurship, B2B strategies, and business development.
Mónica Olivares Martín, PhD
RD&A Director, Women & Infant Health - Kerry
Mónica graduated in Pharmacy from the University of Granada in Spain and did her doctoral thesis on molecular biology at a Research Center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). She specializes in probiotic strains isolated from human milk and is the author of 80 scientific publications, more than 40 related to probiotics, and is also listed as an inventor on 8 patents, 3 of them on probiotics.
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References
- Blanco-Rojo R, et al. (2022) Beneficial Effects of Limosilactobacillus fermentum CECT 5716 Administration to Infants Delivered by Cesarean Section. Front Pediatr. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2022.906924.
- Maldonado J, et al. (2019) Evaluation of the safety, tolerance and efficacy of 1-year consumption of infant formula supplemented with Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716 Lc40 or Bifidobacterium breve CECT7263: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Pediatr. 19: 361. doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-019-1753-7.
- Ozen M, et al (2023) Limosilactobacillus fermentum CECT5716: Clinical Potential of a Probiotic Strain Isolated from Human Milk. Nutrients 15: 2207. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15092207
