Regulatory uncertainty in Europe and a string of high-profile lawsuits in the US has made firms much more cautious about making health claims about probiotics, according to one California-based supplier.
Consumer awareness of the benefits of prebiotic fibers and probiotics for digestive health has risen steadily in the US over the past five years, according to a new survey into functional foods.
The ability of probiotics to influence the immune system differs greatly, depending on the strain, Dutch and Belgian researcher have said in findings that could influence clinical trial design.
The potential beneficial effects of select bacterial strains are dependent on the organisms being alive, says a new study that supports the WHO definition of probiotics as being ‘live microorganisms’.
Relying on your gut to make decisions may have a lot of truth to it, as research suggests that probiotic modification of the gut may influence the brain and affect mood.
Daily probiotic supplements may accelerate transit time and boost general gut health, says a new study from Danisco and Fonterra heralded as providing ‘Level I evidence’.
Canada’s Atrium Innovations has announced a multi-million, multi-year research initiative to study the role and potential of nutrition against silent inflammation and metabolic syndrome.
Probiotics are best used for their potentially beneficial effects on gut health, but they may also help to boost immune functions – an effect that could benefit sports stars in the future, according to a leading sports scientist.
Elaine Watson caught up with Ganeden Biotech's business development boss Mike Bush at the IFT show to talk about opportunities in the food and drink market for its ultra-resilient BC30 probiotic strain.
Minnesota-based UAS Laboratories, Inc., has defended the safety and efficacy of its products following a US Marshalls-led seizure, adding that it is working with FDA to ‘remove and/or modify the language’ of alleged disease claims on the labels of its...
Supplementing breast feeding mothers with alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and select probiotics may enhance the fat content of the milk, and boost the immune benefits of the breast milk, suggests a new study from Finland.
The safety of probiotics should be evaluated at the species and not the strain level when considering possible New Dietary Ingredients notifications, according to a new position paper by three leading probiotic groups.
The Ohio-based company behind an ultra-resilient strain of bacteria capable of taking probiotics into completely new territory predicts its food and beverage licensing business will more than double in size in 2011.
US chemical group DuPont has successfully completed its tender offer for Danisco, as 92.2 percent of outstanding shares in the Danish food ingredients firm were tendered by Friday’s deadline, DuPont said on Monday.
Daily supplements of two probiotic strains may ease symptoms of bloating in people with bowel disorders, say researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Danisco USA.
The surge class action complaints against health claims on food, beverage and dietary supplements shows no sign of calming, as Bayer is targeted in a new class action lawsuit in California against claims made on some of its probiotic products.
An international team of scientists have identified three distinct varieties of gut microflora. The finding may help explain why individuals respond differently to various nutrients and diets, according to the researchers.
Daily supplements of probiotic Lactobacillus fermentum may reduce the duration of symptoms of respiratory tract infections in male athletes, says a new study from Australia.
Early exposure to bacterial strains during pregnancy, breast feeding, and early life has a profound impact on weight gain in the offspring, says a new study with rats.
The European Commission today approved DuPont’s €4.5bn offer for Danish probiotics, enzymes and ingredients giant Danisco but the deal remains in doubt as to date only 6% of Danisco shareholders have accepted the offer.
The probiotic Bifidobacterium breve may be effective in increasing stool frequency in children with functional constipation, according to a new pilot study.
Major kefir manufacturer Lifeway Foods is the latest company to feel the wrath of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for making unsubstantiated drug claims.
US probiotics leader Dannon appears to have weathered recent class action and Federal Trade Commission (FTC)-led storms that forced it to alter gut health claims for its spoonable and drinkable yogurt, Activia, with sales rising 16 percent in 2010.
A recently completed documentary about probiotics is being welcomed by the probiotics community with Danisco, the world’s biggest probiotics supplier saying it provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the microorganisms among the medical fraternity.
Industry and consumer interest in nutritional approaches to boost immune system function show the potential for the area, but challenges remain to building the science to support any such claims, says an internationally-renowned expert.
Industry is singing the praises of a “pragmatic” National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) five-year plan that it says has responded to its concerns, along with those of consumers and academics, about CAM science and its translation...
Daily supplements of a blend of the bacterial strains Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 (Probio-Tec AB-25) was no better than placebo for maintaining remission of ulcerative colitis.
Vitamin D penetration has jumped 50% in the past two years in the US, according to a new survey of 6000 supplement buyers conducted by product tester and market scrutineer, ConsumerLab.com, that also recorded dwindling herbal interest.
Analysts are saying Danisco could be carved up by its new owner DuPont, which they suggest is most interested in the Danish company’s enzymes for biofuels and that the food side of the business may be jettisoned.
In the second part of this special series on global outsourcing trends NutraIngredients explores how the European Union nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR) is impacting activity in the contract research organisation (CRO) sector.
The effects of probiotics on gut health may be boosted by a symbiotic partnership with the supplementation of certain micronutrients, according to new research.
Supplements containing a mix of probiotic bacteria and prebiotic fibers reduced the prevalence of asthma-like symptoms in children at risk of the condition, says a new study from the Netherlands.
French Canadian company Institut Rosell has agreed a seven-year partnership with Swedish probiotic research and the development firm Probi covering dietary supplements based on its bacterial Lp299v strain.
It’s been a bad year for good bacteria: A raft of negative health claims opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has left many in the industry predicting trouble ahead for probiotics and prebiotics in Europe. But Professor Tine Rask Licht,...
Daily supplements of select probiotic strains may reduce the risk of premature birth, and the complications that results from being born pre-term, say two new studies.
Dannon says its year-long negotiations with the Federal Trade Commission that resulted in a $21m settlement and modifications placed on its health statements, has not altered the core claims for its multi-million dollar selling probiotic yoghurts.
The science to support potential health benefits of probiotics is “encouraging” but the available evidence does not support their widespread use, says the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Differences in the production of bacterial strains may change the potentially probiotic properties of resulting food, says a new study from Finland that ‘sets important prerequisites for quality control in probiotics’.
Probiotic-containing lozenges may reduce levels of three different pathogens in patients with chronic periodontitis, suggests a new study that also supports benefits for inflamed gums.
Supplements of probiotic bacteria combined with dietary counseling may reduce the risk of becoming overweight or obese after pregnancy, suggests a new study from Finland.
NutraIngredient’s Snack Size Science brings you the week's top science every two weeks. This week we look at how probiotics may help keep babies healthy. A healthy baby is a happy baby.
Mapping how the gut microbiota respond to probiotic strains may help produce a framework for “evaluating and optimizing probiotic-based functional foods”, say researchers from Danone and Harvard.
Daily supplements of a probiotic may reduce the incidence of respiratory illness for infants during their first eight months of life, says a new study.
Daily supplements with probiotic Lactobacillus strains may reduce the incidence of acquiring the common cold by 12 percent, according to new research from probiotic player Probi.
The human nutrition division of French yeast specialist Lesaffre has launched what it says is only the second known probiotic yeast, and the first to directly target Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
