Superbrewed Food Launches Microbial Protein-Derived Postbiotic for Digestive & Immune Health
US startup Superbrewed Food has unveiled Thryvia, a postbiotic ingredient derived from its cultured microbial protein, for use in shelf-stable supplements, foods, beverages, and pet nutrition products.
US fermentation startup Superbrewed Food, known for its whole-food SB1 protein, has unveiled a postbiotic ingredient using the same microbial strain.
This new innovation, called Thryvia, is designed to boost immunity and digestive health, and can be used across supplements, food and beverage products, and pet nutrition at low inclusion rates.
According to Superbrewed co-founder and CEO Bryan Tracy, the global biotics industry now exceeds $100B. “Today, this market is dominated by probiotics, yet the benefits consumers value come from the postbiotics they produce,” he said in a LinkedIn post.
“Thryvia delivers precision postbiotic signals directly in a shelf-stable ingredient that formulates easily into a huge array of foods, beverages and supplements – representing the next generation of biotics.”
Postbiotic ingredient can be used at low doses across an array of applications
Superbrewed’s leverages anaerobic fermentation technology to produce its ingredients, using heat-killed, non-viable Clostridium tyrobutyricum, a microbial strain known to have a neutral flavour, high pH and temperature stability, and beneficial functional properties.
Postbiotics are essential bioactive compounds produced by our gut microbiome that humans need to thrive. Unlike probiotics, which are live microbes, these are inert and their benefits don’t depend on keeping cells alive through processing, storage, or digestion.
They can be faster to produce and are simpler to transport, store and maintain than probiotics. Plus, they’re shelf-stable at room temperature, have a longer shelf life, and provide qualitative control.
This gives ingredients like Superbewed’s protein-derived postbiotic broad formulation flexibility, with Thryvia suitable for use in capsules, powders, gummies, bars, foods, and beverages (including UHT-processed formats), and pet food.
With dietary supplements, it can support digestive health and everyday wellness through natural immune signalling. It’s also compatible with dairy, cereals, snacks and frozen desserts for humans, and works with conventional extrusion processes to boost r soft chews, functional treats, powders, toppers, capsules, wet foods, and dry kibble for cats and dogs.
An added benefit is the efficacy at small concentrations – the postbiotic is intended for use at an inclusion rate of 200mg per serving, which Superbrewed says enables flexible product development “without the viability-management requirements associated with live probiotics”.
The company can already supply Thryvia at commercial scale today. “Consumers understand digestive comfort and immune health, but brand owners need differentiated ingredients backed by science that also work in real-world products,” said Tracy.
“Thryvia brings science, differentiated positioning and practical formulation together, giving our customers a clear path to products that stand out,” he added.
Thryvia approved in the US and undergoing evaluation in Europe
To test the impact of the new ingredient, Superbrewed conducted a blind consumer test and found that Thryvia was preferred by 52% of them, outperforming the market-leading postbiotic brand (48%). There was an even wider preference gap with the next three leading competitors.
Third-party preclinical studies show targeted activation of innate immune receptors TLR2, TLR5, and NOD2, while controlled animal research confirms that these immune signals translate into meaningful biological outcomes, including improved immune resilience and pathogen resistance.
And in a four-week consumer perception study, 64% of participants reported less digestive discomfort after consuming dairy boosted with Thryve, 74% said their stomachs felt more at ease, and 70% had less abdominal discomfort or cramping. Moreover, 61% enjoyed meal times more, and 65% felt generally comfortable throughout the day.
“As someone who has spent years in the microbiome space, I know exactly what it takes to bring a category-defining ingredient to market – and Thryvia has that potential,” said Michael Bush, who has joined Superbrewed as co-chairman of the board, and was previously the CEO of probiotics manufacturer Ganeden.
“I’m thrilled to work alongside this team to bring fermented ingredients to market that meet real, unmet needs across the food, beverage, supplement, and animal health industries,” he stated.
Suprebrewed has secured a ‘no questions” letter from the US Food and Drug Administration, which recognised its ingredient as Generally Recognized as Safe. In addition, clostridium tyrobutyricum has been recommended by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) experts for inclusion on the Qualified Presumption of Safety list. In fact, novel food safety evaluations are already underway for the EU and the UK.
Simultaneously, Superbrewed has begun commercial-scale production of its SB1 protein at Döhler Group’s facility in Europe, with initial volumes already shipping across the Atlantic. The firm has been working on process and product partnerships with New Zealand’s Fonterra and France’s Bel Group, and the ingredient has been found to outperform pea protein and match whey on muscle protein synthesis.