A chronological history of Valio Gefilus development

1985: Patent application in the US for the Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG strain (professors Sherwood Gorbach (right) and Barry Goldin).

1987: Valio license agreement concluded with professors Gorbach and Goldin

1987–1992: Development phase at Valio R&D and Marketing. Culture production and consumer product manufacturing.

1990: First Valio Gefilus products launched in Finland. The fruit-whey drink is still popular with new fruit flavours.

1992: Valio Gefilus cultured buttermilk launched, the most successful Gefilus product yet

1993: First license agreements between Valio Ltd and foreign players

1994: First licensed product on the market is Campina Vifit in the Netherlands

1995: Products with Lactobacillus GG available in Argentina, Norway, Italy and Chile

1996: Valio Gefilus milk and “Bacteria to the rescue” campaign in Finland
First LGG® seminar for licensees held in Finland

1996: Japan – FOSHU approval for a product containing Lactobacillus GG

1997: Non-dairy products: Valio Gefilus Fruit drinks and capsules

1999: Valio Gefilus in Estonia: Valio Gefilus abroad.
First edition of LGG® Summatim Report published by Valio Ltd

2000: Valio Gefilus sells more than 30 mill. litres in Finland – that’s 6 litres per capita in just one year

2001: March 2001 sees products containing Lactobacillus GG available in 27 countries

2003: First Infant Foods with Lactobacillus GG

2004: Valio Kidius®Gefilus® range for children launched in Finland

2007: Gefilus capsules licensed to Oriola (Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania)

2008: New LGG® by Valio license logo introduced

2009: Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG genome published. The number of published studies on LGG® reaches 500.

2010: Valio Gefilus strong in Finland and nearby markets. Products now available in more than 50 countries

Bacteria to the rescue

A story of tenacious research, innovative thinking and marketing awareness

The Valio Gefilus® brand made its consumer debut on 15th March 1990 in the form of a fermented apricot-peach whey drink, ushering in a new era of probiotic functional foods. Next up was cultured buttermilk in 1992 which remains to this day the Valio Gefilus® bestseller.

Smart marketing is part of product development

The real breakthrough came in 1996 with Valio Gefilus® milk and inspired marketing.

Gefilus® products contain Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103) otherwise known as LGG®, the world’s most researched lactic acid bacterium on which more than 500 studies have been published in scientific journals. Valio framed LGG® as the rescuer bacteria and communicated clearer health benefits emphasising Gefilus® products’ positive effects on immunity. The campaign saw Valio Gefilus® fermented milk sales almost triple.

Valio Gefilus® juices were launched a year later in 1997, followed by the first daily dose shot drinks in 1999, the same year that Valio Gefilus® kefir appeared in Estonia where it was and still is a local smash hit. Valio Kidius®Gefilus® products for children were launched in 2004, continuing the strategy of focused development on local market fit and targeting unique consumer groups.

Licensing ingredients and technology

In 1987, Valio licensed the global rights to the Lactobacillus GG (ATCC 53103) strain isolated by American professors Sherwood Gorbach and Barry Goldin who had identified beneficial health effects in laboratory testing.

After intensive work at Valio R&D supported by the strength of scientific research evidence on the effects of LGG® lactic acid bacteria, Valio had branded the proven health effects and in 1993 began to sell and market its probiotic component and related know-how under the LGG® trademark to selected customers through licensing agreements.

The first beneficiary was Royal FrieslandCampina which launched its Vifit yoghurt range in

the Netherlands in 1994 just weeks after the European launch of Yakult functional fermented milk, first developed by Dr Minoru Shirota in 1930s Japan.

LGG® goes global

International demand for Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG bacteria has led to the availability of products containing LGG® in more than 50 countries. 23 companies have licensed LGG® from Valio and nearly all use the exclusive LGG® license logo introduced in 2008.

Valio had meanwhile broken with tradition in 2007 and licensed the Gefilus® brand itself to leading pharmaceutical distributor Oriola for the marketing, sales and distribution of Gefilus® capsules in Valio’s nearby markets as well as farther afield.

Past, present and future

Valio Gefilus®, the most venerable probiotic brand in Europe, paved the way not only for other probiotic products but also for other functional dairy foods. And Valio’s pioneering stance as a dairy industry innovator has parlayed a strategy to promote health and well-being into scientific research and leading expertise that delivers value added products and technologies.

The Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG genome was published in 2009 which opens up a whole range of fascinating possibilities for Gefilus® next 20 years. The story is just beginning, so watch this space!

For more information see:

http://www.valio.fi/portal/page/portal/valiocom/Valio_Today/News?p_channelid=5&p_id=3927