Hecto Healthcare has received official recognition from South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for the body fat reduction function of a probiotics complex ingredient it developed in-house. Hecto Healthcare said on Wednesday that its ingredient BN-202M was approved as an individually recognised health functional food ingredient (approval No. 2026-22) after the ministry recognised its function as “may help reduce body fat.”

The individually recognised ingredient system allows the ministry to review scientific evidence, including human application studies, safety and functionality, for ingredients developed by companies and to recognise their functions. In the health functional foods sector, it is assessed as an indicator of technological competitiveness that verifies a company’s research and development capabilities and scientific data.

BN-202M is a complex probiotics blend that combines Lacticaseibacillus paracasei BEPC22 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum BELP53, derived from the gut of healthy people. Hecto Healthcare selected the two strains after comparative analysis of fat metabolism improvement effects and strain interactions across about 300 strains it holds. It designed a daily intake at 50 billion CFU.

Non-clinical studies, including cell and animal tests, confirmed the possibility of positive changes in indicators related to body fat. It said a 12-week randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled human application study in overweight adults showed significant decreases in body fat mass, body fat percentage, visceral fat area, weight and BMI. The research was carried out as a government project, and the company conducted consultations on optimising strain combinations and content with Professor De Simone, described as an authority in the probiotics field.

Geumju Shin (신금주), an executive director at Hecto Healthcare’s R&D headquarters, said, “BN-202M used the institute’s unique screening system from the selection of about 300 candidate strains, and it is a successful R&D achievement that 이어진 through non-clinical research, human application studies and publication in an international academic journal to individual recognition by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.” She added, “We will continue research into functional ingredients that prioritises scientific evidence and consumer trust, based on accumulated R&D capabilities, and do our best to develop products that can provide practical help to consumers’ health.”