Probiotics– the journey continues

Abstract

Papers from the recent Society of Dairy Technology's spring conference on probiotics are reviewed. Legislation relating to probiotic health claims was outlined, with comparison of the EU with other countries, including Japan. Research evidence for numerous probiotic benefits was described, with particular focus on obesity‐related disorders, antibiotic‐associated diarrhoea, infections and cancer. The mechanisms of activity underlying these effects were explained. Research on the gut microbiota early and late in life was presented, with examples of new product development. The physicochemical and microbial considerations for probiotic delivery in a cheese matrix were discussed, and the manufacturing process for galacto‐oligosaccharides used in infant formula was outlined.

The effects of probiotic cultures on the organic acid content, texture profile and sensory attributes of Tulum cheese

“…Similarly, various researchers have reported that cheese is a well‐established food matrix for probiotic bacteria due to its intrinsic nutritional composition (Lollo et al . ; Thomas ; Champagne et al . ; De Almeida et al .…”

Dairy technology: A UK perspective on its past, present and future

“…The relationship between the gut microbiota, health and the effects of consuming fermented milk has been a major area of research for many years, with widespread interest in probiotic organisms and prebiotic ingredients. However, claims for the beneficial effects of these organisms have yet to be sufficiently robust to overcome the ban on labelling claims within the European Union (Thomas ).…”

Potential anticancer effects of cell wall protein fractions from Lactobacillus paracasei on human intestinal Caco‐2 cell line

“…(Hill et al ). Research evidence for numerous probiotics has shown that probiotics have an important role in the promotion of health status, including by a decrease in serum cholesterol levels, obesity‐related disorders, antimicrobial and antidiabetic potential, hypertension and inhibition of cancer progression (Lollo et al ; Thomas ; Shafi et al ). Probiotic cheese consumption reduced the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and peroxynitrite expression in mice exposed to the cigarette smoke‐induced injuries (Vasconcelos et al ).…”