Vox Pop: Consumers are familiar with the word ‘probiotic,’ but struggle to define it

By Adi Menayang

- Last updated on GMT

Probiotics are distinct types of bacteria that have been clearly defined by health authorities around the world, trade associations, as well as the World Health Organization. However, this definition may have not yet entered mainstream consciousness.

In an informal person-on-the-street interview conducted by NutraIngredients-USA, we found that randomly selecting six people on the streets of Chicago and asking them about probiotics will a) reveal that they have all heard of the term but struggle to define it, and b) associate these ingredients with yogurt.

But picking their brains a bit further, only three were able to identify probiotics as beneficial bacteria, and none were able to name any specific strains, even those who say they actively seek probiotics to consume.

READ: Global Probiotics Market - Trends, consumer behaviour and growth opportunities (Lumina Intelligence)

The accepted definition of ‘probiotic,’ as set by FAO/WHO​, is that a probiotics are “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host."

Further clarification by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) back in 2009​ specified that a probiotic must be alive when administered, have undergone controlled evaluation to document health benefits in the target host and be a taxonomically defined microbe or combination of microbes.

The small scale and informal nature of this survey means it shouldn’t be taken as a true reflection of how probiotics are perceived by consumers in the US, but the results mirror findings of a report by Packaged Facts from last month​, in which a much larger revealed that millennials are the most interested in buying probiotics compared to the other generations.

Related news

Show more

Related products

show more

Gut and mental health struggles affect consumers

Gut and mental health struggles affect consumers

Content provided by Verb Biotics | 23-Sep-2024 | White Paper

Verb Biotics, a biotech company focused on improving health through the gut microbiome, recently completed its second annual consumer survey to assess...

Explore Probiotic Adventure in Weight Management

Explore Probiotic Adventure in Weight Management

Content provided by CJ BIO | 02-Sep-2024 | White Paper

Curious about how you can deliver standout solutions? Dive into our trend report for valuable insights into current weight management market trends and...

Related suppliers

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars