During the 13th Probiotics, Prebiotics and New Foods Congress, Microbiomepost.com conducted an exclusive interview with Akari Hiraku, researcher at Innovative Research Institute, Morinaga Milk Industry Co.

Morinaga Milk Industry, a leading Japanese dairy manufacturer, has over a century of experience in infant nutrition and has long focused on the role of bifidobacteria in early-life health. Advances in microbiome science highlight that human-residential bifidobacteria (HRB), particularly infant-type strains, are key players in immune system development during the first 1,000 days of life. These strains are highly adapted to the infant gut, efficiently utilize human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), resist lysozyme in breast milk, and produce beneficial metabolites such as acetic acid, folate, and indole-3-lactic acid, which support systemic functions and immune homeostasis.

At this conference, Akari Hiraku presented new clinical data on Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis M-63, a probiotic strain with a remarkable capacity to utilize HMOs. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, healthy full-term infants received either M-63 or placebo from within 7 days of birth up to 3 months of age. Daily supplementation with M-63 rapidly promoted a bifidobacteria-dominant gut microbiota, increased levels of beneficial metabolites (including acetic acid) and fecal IgA, reduced intestinal inflammation, and shifted the microbiota composition toward a more beneficial enterotype. These findings indicate that B. longum subsp. infantis M-63 safely supports infant health by fostering a favorable gut environment and enhancing early immune function, positioning M-63 as an optimal probiotic candidate for infants and young children.