Tools for Innovation: Efforts by U.S. Probiotic Culture Suppliers
What should formulators consider when choosing a probiotic?
"Microbiologists agree that it cannot be assumed that research published on one strain of a probiotic applies to another strain, even of the same species," says Mary Ellen Sanders, a consultant with Centennial, Colo.-based Dairy and Food Culture Technologies and president of the International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP). "Therefore, documentation of type of bacteria (genus and species), potency (number of viable bacteria per dose), purity (presence of contaminating or ineffective bacteria) and the extent of research that has been published on health effects must be provided for any strain being used in a product. Usually the culture supplier can provide this information."