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.

Consumers are pretty savvy. Many know that probiotics promote a healthy gut. But delivering probiotics at the right level in yogurt is easier said than done. The cultures used in processing can affect the viability of probiotic bacteria.

Jintan is a NSF-cGMP-certified Japanese specialty seamless capsule maker, producing patented round 3-layer seamless capsules that offer stomach acid resistance to insure live probiotics release in the gut.

The human health benefits of probiotics merit consideration by public health policy makers. Dairy processors need to keep up with the research on this important ingredient.