In the year 1990, we started our search to find the most effective probiotic bacteria
BioGaia was founded at the intersection of scientific curiosity and entrepreneurial initiative during a period when interest in beneficial bacteria was beginning to emerge. In the late 1980s, advances in microbiology, combined with practical challenges in food production and preservation, created the conditions for exploring new applications of probiotic strains.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Swedish entrepreneurs Peter Rothschild and Jan Annwall were importing organic vegetables and specialty yogurt from France to Sweden. Seeking ways to preserve the vegetables during long transport, they explored the potential of beneficial bacteria. By chance, on a ski lift in Verbier, Per Hellström, a friend of Peter Rothschild, met Sven Lindgren, a researcher with expertise in Limosilactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri), a patented probiotic bacterium. This encounter sparked the idea of combining their practical needs with the potential of L. reuteri.
Early experiments demonstrated that while L. reuteri was not effective for preserving vegetables, it could be used as a probiotic to support health of poultry, offering a natural alternative to prophylactic antibiotic use in turkey and chicken production in the United States. Technically, this approach was successful; however, it proved commercially challenging, as antibiotics were less expensive than probiotics. Nevertheless, these initial studies highlighted the broader potential of probiotics and laid the foundation for a future focus on human health.
In 1990, BioGaia was formally established. The company acquired the rights to Reuteri® and assembled a dedicated team in research and development, enabling the transition from experimental findings to commercial products. In 1991, BioGaia launched its first functional food product, BRA Milk (B for bifidus, R for reuteri, A for acidophilus), in partnership with a small independent Swedish dairy. Despite initial regulatory challenges, BRA Milk became the first probiotic milk in Europe and the second in the world. Over the following years, BioGaia expanded its functional food portfolio to include yogurt, juice, cream cheese, and other probiotic products, sold in parallel with the ongoing animal feed experiments.
Scientific research played a central role in BioGaia’s development. At the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala, researchers including Sven Lindgren, Walter Dobrogosz (visiting scientist from the USA), and Lars Axelsson studied how beneficial bacteria could inhibit harmful microorganisms. They identified L. reuteri as a particularly promising species, producing reuterin, a compound that effectively inhibits growth of harmful bacteria, including E. coli. Stefan Roos later joined the team, contributing to the documentation of L. reuteri’s unique properties.
In parallel, studies led by researcher Ivan Casas focused on identifying human-origin strains of L. reuteri. Initial breastmilk samples collected in urban hospital environments showed no detectable presence of the bacterium, likely reflecting the highly sanitized conditions typical of hospitals. Instead, Ivan Casas conducted field studies in Huancayo in the Peruvian Andes, where everyday living conditions were less influenced by modern sanitation and lifestyle patterns. In these traditional environments, L. reuteri was found to persist in the population, and numerous strains of L. reuteri were isolated from breastmilk.
These findings demonstrated that the strain had not disappeared from humans, but had become less prevalent in highly sanitized, industrialized environments. The results confirmed the continued relevance of L. reuteri to human health and became an important reference for BioGaia’s evolving focus on human applications. Ivan Casas and his team not only confirmed ”the circle of life” of L. Reuteri, going from mother to baby through breast milk, but also its colonisation and survival throughout the human gastrointestinal tract.
Over the following years, BioGaia gradually shifted its focus entirely to human health. The launch of Reuteri tablets in 2000 marked a major milestone, and these products today represent a large portion of BioGaia’s revenue. Subsequent innovations included LifeTop™ Straw (2001), Reuteri oil drops for infants (2004), and the patented LifeTop™ Cap (2005). BioGaia was listed on the Innovation Market in 1996 and on the Stockholm Stock Exchange’s O-list in 1998. Today, BioGaia is a Swedish, world-leading probiotic company that has been at the forefront of microbiome research for over three decades.
Curiosity about the unknown and a commitment to innovation continue to guide our development. From the beginning, we have worked closely with academic researchers around the world, embracing research as a collaborative approach that drives new discoveries in probiotic science.
BioGaia was built on true partnership – two founders with complementary strengths working as equals. Together, they created a business grounded in trust, respect and a shared belief that scientific innovation should contribute to improving people’s health and doing good for society.
