Tipton Mills Launches The World’s First Probiotic Coffee
Back in 1999 when Tipton Mills, then Buffalo Blends, opened its doors as a regional contract manufacturer, nobody would have pegged the small company for the innovative leader it’s become today. With its recent launch of the world’s first probiotic coffee, Tipton Mills has made its mark as an originator.
Time to Think Healthy with Probiotic Coffee
With a new, larger, modern facility, Tipton Mills was well-poised to introduce new products. The company turned to the burgeoning natural health market for inspiration.
Why a probiotic coffee? “We had been interested in making products with a health benefit for some time. Probiotic coffee just felt like the natural direction for us to go. A large amount of Americans drink coffee everyday so you may as well have a health benefit to it,” said Tim Sheehy, company president.
According to the National Coffee Association, Americans drink an average of 3.1 cups of coffee a day per person (the average size of a cup is 9 ounces), while the U.S. spends $40 billion on coffee each year.
“I admit that we were very skeptical initially about a probiotic working in a hot beverage but BC30™ (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086) demonstrated through rigorous testing, that it could work at a level that was beneficial. So once we were convinced of that it was an easy decision,” Sheehy says.
Tipton Mills’ Probiotic Coffee
Sheehy is delighted with the finished product. “We have a product that’s unique to the consumer; it adds real value, not perceived value, it’s not just another coffee. We are providing a specific benefit to consumers wanting to lead healthier lifestyles.”
Sheehy isn’t the only one pleased with the probiotic coffee. BC30 and Tipton Mills’ Probiotic Coffee were awarded the inaugural SupplySide Insights Award for Probiotic Coffee at the recent SupplySide MarketPlace in New York.
With an industry award in hand and products on store shelves, Sheehy is excited about the future for its probiotic coffee, and beyond. “We’ve learned that a key to the products success is education. Consumers often have questions about a probiotic surviving in a hot environment so we do a lot of demos and include a pamphlet in products explaining the process.”
Since its tremendously successful launch, Tipton Mills now offers BC30 in its entire Tipton Mills beverage product offerings: instant coffees, chai lattes, lattes, cappuccinos, teas in various flavors, and even high protein shakes and smoothies. These products are available as stick packs and vertical or horizontal fill and seal packages.