Many people have eaten oats, but have you tried "fermented oats"? Last month, Quaker, the oat brand under PepsiCo, officially launched China's first fermented oat product in Shanghai[1]—Quaker Probiotic Fermented Instant Oats—bringing fermentation technology to the oat category for the first time. Image source: Xiaohongshu @小禾家零食分装 For the oat sector, which has established a health-conscious image over the years but lacks breakthroughs, this is an important innovation attempt. It seeks to answer a question the industry has repeatedly asked: After "healthy and filling," is there room for oats to continue evolving? Beyond being rich in dietary fiber, are there other value increments to be tapped? The answer may lie behind this "fermentation." Health Demand Has Matured State Management Becomes a New Category Differentiator In recent years, the oat market has maintained steady growth. As low-sugar, low-fat, and high-dietary-fiber dietary concepts become more prevalent, people are more willing to make long-term, easy adjustments in their daily diets. The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" explicitly recommends a daily intake of ≥50g of whole grains, and an aging population has made chronic disease prevention a key theme in middle-aged and elderly diets. Based on the natural advantages of β-glucan and dietary fiber, oats continue to hold a strong position in basic nutritional supplementation, solidifying their foundation and expanding even more steadily than before. But what truly moves the category forward is the influx of younger users. In the past, labels like "low GI" and "rich in dietary fiber" were enough to attract some consumers. But today's young people—whether they are early-rising, late-returning职场新人, busy moms, or light exercisers who maintain their fitness—place more emphasis on how they feel after consumption. Does the body feel light? Is the gut comfortable? Can they maintain a balanced, high-performing state even when busy? In their eyes, oats have become an "all-day nutritional choice" that can be eaten anytime without much burden. This is why a new consumption trend is emerging: moving from single nutritional supplementation to balanced state management. Some data help us better understand this shift: According to the "2023 Chinese People's 'Intestinal' Troubles and Probiotic Consumption Insights Report," over 80% of Chinese people suffer from varying degrees of gastrointestinal discomfort, and gut comfort is closely linked to mood, energy, and lifestyle pace. With the rapid growth of probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, and other products, people have gained a more concrete understanding of these ingredients. Postbiotics, in particular, though a new concept, are beginning to enter the mainstream. They offer higher stability: heat and acid resistance, fewer formulation restrictions, and effectiveness maintained at room temperature and during processing, meaning broader application scenarios. They are considered an important future direction for health foods. As a result, the oat category is becoming increasingly differentiated. The demand for nutritional supplementation remains, but the incremental space is concentrated in the "lifestyle state" area. This also means a new cycle for the category is quietly opening. Against this backdrop, Quaker's probiotic fermented oats have emerged at the right time. They enter from the "lifestyle state" angle, using a proprietary fermentation process to deliver a more comfortable experience while retaining oats' nutritional advantages. For consumers who race against the clock daily and pay attention to their body's feedback, the value of such products is relatively direct and easy to perceive. China's First Fermented Oat Product —Quaker Probiotic Fermented Oats What Makes It Different? What truly sets this new product apart lies in two aspects: professional technical support and tangible experience. 1. Technical End: Five Probiotics Co-Fermented, Forming a "Oat Prebiotics + Fermented Postbiotics"[2] Dual Nutritional Care for Self-Protection Quaker selected five probiotics (Limosilactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus) to ferment oat flour at a constant temperature for 24 hours. This proprietary process converts macromolecular nutrients in oats into smaller molecules that are easier to absorb, enhancing nutrient utilization. After sterilization, beneficial postbiotics are also produced. These postbiotics complement the prebiotics naturally abundant in oats, forming a "dual self-protection" combination—Quaker's proprietary "Quaker Super Fiber Q"—offering a new approach to comfortable daily experiences. From an industry perspective, Quaker, as China's first fermented oat product brand, has expanded the direction of grain-based food innovation. The core lies in introducing proprietary fermentation technology to the oat category for the first time, especially applying postbiotics to grain products, marking a breakthrough in process innovation within a mature category. This move is timely—with the official release of China's scientific consensus on postbiotics in September 2025, the application of postbiotics now has clearer guidelines. This means the value of fermented oats is transcending the traditional "healthy staple" and offering new possibilities for functional foods. 2. Experience End: Fermentation Imparts Unique Texture and Flavor, Offering a "Healthy and Delicious" New Choice For a long time, common pain points of oat products have been "strong fiber texture, hard mouthfeel, and monotonous flavor." After the proprietary fermentation process, Quaker's fermented oats exhibit a natural slight sourness and sweet aftertaste. With the addition of coconut water powder and goji berry bits, the overall flavor becomes fresher, with a sweet, sour, soft, and sticky texture. These changes may seem subtle, but they have a profound impact on young consumers' choices. Many oat products fail in the market not because of insufficient nutrition but because of poor taste. If fermentation can help the oat category overcome its texture and flavor shortcomings, the growth boundaries of the oat category may be reopened. 3. From Function to Experience: Scientifically Verified Friendly Attributes The friendliness formed around "dual self-protection" clearly differentiates Quaker Probiotic Fermented Oats from traditional products. More importantly, Quaker has provided relatively rare scientific research validation[3] to further substantiate the health effects of applying fermentation to oats—this is uncommon in the current oat sector. The findings have been published in the Chinese core journal "Food Science." From a consumption trend perspective, people's health focus is shifting from "specific problem improvement" to "daily state management"—pursuing ease, balance, and sustainability. It's clear that Quaker's new product, under its new brand proposition "Nourish Every Life," embodies this experiential value of overall state. When the gut feels comfortable, people are more likely to enter a "state of life with surplus energy." This positioning aligns well with the "light self-regulation" health approach commonly adopted by people aged 25–40. What's more noteworthy for the industry: the introduction of fermentation technology extends oats from "meal replacement staple" to "functional grain," meaning the category may no longer be tied solely to "breakfast" but can enter broader "self-state management" scenarios, such as light energy replenishment before and after exercise, light meal options during work breaks, and light snacks for minor hunger during leisure time. Why Should Channels Pay Attention to "Fermented Oats"? The emergence of fermented oats as a new category not only fills the innovation gap in fermentation technology application within the oat sector but also brings a potential growth point worth attention for channels. 1. Filling the Functional Health Track: Enriching Store Differentiation From a macro trend perspective, functional health foods are steadily growing. NIQ's 2025 Global Health and Wellness Report shows that nutrition and gut health are driving health food and beverage choices. Among 19 surveyed countries, 53% of consumers plan to buy more high-fiber foods in 2025, while about 40% plan to buy more superfoods, high-protein plant-based foods, or probiotic foods. While the grain category has the basic functions to meet such needs, it has long lacked perceivable technological innovation. In this context, Quaker Probiotic Fermented Oats precisely fill this gap. It integrates "dual self-protection from prebiotics and postbiotics," "proprietary fermentation technology," and "scientific research validation," giving oat products a technical path, scientific proof, and real experiential feedback. This perceivable difference further deepens the differentiation in consumers' minds within a mature category: oats are still oats, but not all oats can deliver the experience and value of Quaker Probiotic Fermented Oats. For channels, this means a new category on the shelf, no longer just differentiated by flavor or packaging, helping stores expand differentiated offerings and enhance the appeal of health shelves. 2. Relatively Clear Sales Logic: Clear Selling Points, Easily Identifiable Demand Scenarios From a user demand perspective, "daily state management" consistently ranks among the top public health concerns, making it a functional appeal that easily sparks consumer interest. Fermented oats possess several characteristics conducive to sales:

  • Easy-to-explain selling points: Advantages like proprietary fermentation technology and dual nutrition from prebiotics and postbiotics have clear scientific logic;
  • Low choice threshold: Real human scientific research validation strengthens the "perceivable and trustworthy" purchase reason;
  • Rapid word-of-mouth spread: The initial launch at Sam's Club means the first batch of users are mostly high-engagement customers who like trying new things and sharing, accelerating the circulation of authentic experiential word-of-mouth. Some consumers have nicknamed this product "Quaker Little Balance," reflecting the new product's cognitive acceptance in the early market. For channels, this means the product has a sales foundation of "easy to explain, efficient communication, and repurchase potential." 3. Brand Power Support: Big Brand R&D System + High-Potential Channel Validation, Reducing Channel Trial-and-Error Costs From the brand side, Quaker, as an international oat nutrition expert with over 140 years of history, has long been深耕 the oat field and established a stable "professional grain brand" perception among consumers. The R&D, supply chain, and quality systems of a major brand help reduce channel trial-and-error risks. From the channel side, the new product has completed its initial launch test at Sam's Club. Sam's Club users have high average spending and are proactive in trying new products, providing early real consumer feedback and supporting "trend validation" for subsequent distribution. For distributors, this is an important basis for judging the product's potential. Final Thoughts Seemingly ordinary oats are moving toward a new era. From the popularization of health awareness to the rise of functional foods and the growth of experience-based consumption, the market is preparing for a true category upgrade. Quaker's fermented oats represent not just a product innovation but also the oat category's exploration from basic nutrition to experiential value. When a small oat flake begins to be associated with keywords like "balanced state" and "easy feeling," it is no longer just one of countless choices on the shelf but could become a key element in future healthy lifestyles. For brands, this is an opportunity to redefine the category. For channels, it also means a potential growth point in a rising cycle. Small fermented oats, indeed, have great potential. References: [1] Shangpu Consulting, by comparing the launch time and innovation of fermented oat products across all channels in mainland China (excluding Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan), concluded that "Quaker is China's first fermented oat product brand." Fermented oat products refer to oat products made with oats as the main ingredient, where part or all of the ingredients undergo fermentation by microorganisms (such as lactic acid bacteria, yeast, acetic acid bacteria, etc.). Statistics period: from industry inception to May 15, 2025; this certification was completed in May 2025; [2] Prebiotics refer to oat β-glucan, with an average content of 3.5%; postbiotics refer to probiotic-fermented oat flour, with an addition amount of 3.5%–5%; [3] Yan Qinyu, Xia Hui, Xia Jiayue, et al. Regulatory effects of fermented oats on immune inflammatory factors and gut health in healthy adults[J]. Food Science, 2025, 46(16):24-32. This scientific research was conducted by PepsiCo in collaboration with Southeast University and other authoritative institutions, involving a 30-day human trial. Results showed that after 30 days of continuous consumption of fermented oats, participants experienced significant improvements in gut comfort, beneficial gut bacteria counts, and immune inflammatory factors.