Healthy eating is nothing new, and consumers have long looked to food as part of their wellness goals. In the past decades, processors have met consumer needs by offering products such as low-fat dairy that supposedly helped people keep their weight down.

Phoenix-based Shamrock Farms launched Shamrock Farms Rockin' Protein Plus, a ready-to-drink beverage that combines the functional benefits of protein and superfruits.

Probiotics are most widely recognized for their ability to boost immune function, aid digestion, keep harmful microorganisms in check and aid in nutrient absorption.

Consumer awareness of the health benefits of probiotics continues to grow. And more consumers are abandoning probiotic supplements and looking for real food carriers.

New ingredients from Beneo, Brenntag, Chr. Hansen and more!

The science behind the health benefits of probiotics grows each day. Probiotics can benefit digestive health, heart health, mental health, weight management and the immune system. But formulating probiotics into fermented dairy foods and translating health benefits into appropriate claims can be tricky.

Skim through any list of food and beverage megatrends and you’ll likely run across a mention of 1) probiotics, 2) digestive health, 3) the human microbiome or 4) some combination thereof. That's because the more consumers learn about how the goings-on in their guts reverberate throughout their bodies, the more they want to know about the "good gut bugs" at the center of it all.

Probiotics are hot. Originally found primarily in dairy foods, probiotics now pop up in everything from pills to prunes. As competition mounts from other probiotic delivery vehicles, the dairy industry needs to continue to educate consumers about the benefits of dairy as a delivery vehicle for healthy bacteria.

You know about 'live and active' cultures, and you can't avoid the talk about probiotics. The organisms used to make and enhance fermented dairy foods have specific characteristics and functions. Here's a refresher course.

Tired after working out? Drink a little protein. Overweight? Fiber might help. Digestive issues? Try probiotics. By adding functional ingredients, formulators of dairy foods and beverages can make health-related claims.