Probiotics are of growing interest within the scientific community, for consumers and for the food industry. They potentially provide functional health benefits. The interaction between the gut and intestinal flora and between resident and transient flora defines a new area in physiology, an understanding of which would shed light on the ‘cross talk’ between humans and microbes.

 

Health claims on specific probiotics are accepted in the USA, in Japan, and in some European countries. However, there is a need for comprehensive and harmonised guidelines on the assessment of the characteristics of probiotic as foods, biotherapeutic agents.

 

The mission of the task force (TF) is to investigate how the physiological efficacy of probiotics can be assessed and to develop appropriate guidelines and recommendations to move the research field forward.

 

Therefore, the task force aims at advancing the understanding of scientific issues related to functional foods containing probiotics can impact the gut functions and health in general.

 

The work of the task force is contributing to the scientific understanding and underpinning of health claims regulations.

 

The evaluation of the range of activities will allow for fair comparison between different strains of probiotics and various products. Regulators will benefit from a guideline on the evaluation of the probiotics-related claims. Ultimately, the scientific substantiation of claimed benefits should increase consumers’ confidence in health claims.

 

A working relationship has been established with the IDF/ISO Joint Action Team (JAT) on Probiotics. The IDF/ISO JAT is represented as observer at the TF meetings in order to ensure coordination of work and communication between the two organisations.

 

 

The Task Force decided to look at the potential impact of probiotics on the gut microbiota, with an initial focus on the intestine barrier function. A brainstorming meeting with academic experts concluded that intestinal barrier impairment and microbiota changes can be influenced by different risks factors for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (acute infections, antibiotic usage, stress or other dietary factors), inducing a low grade inflammation that can contribute to different comorbidities and to changes in the gut physiology. However, a treatment with appropriate probiotic strains could be able to restore the intestinal barrier function and avoid the related cascade of stress.

 

Further information is also provided under the section on the transversal activity - Marker Validation Initiative ‘Step 1’.

 

 

It is known that immune markers are modulated within a certain range where it is still considered as safe. The lower and upper limits of this safe range are known for most of the immune markers from medical data. What is not always known is ‘how a certain ingredient can trigger a modulation’ and ‘how detrimental/beneficial this stimulation can be on the consumer’s health’. The Nutrition and Immunity Task Force together with the Probiotics Task Force commissioned an expert group to provide relevant markers and reference values in context of immuno-modulation induced by a dietary intervention within the healthy population.

 

 

Further information is also provided under the section on the transversal activity - Marker Validation Initiative ‘Step 1’.

 

 

Facing the recent published data on probiotics and prebiotics and their impact on health, the task force decided to join forces with the Prebiotics Task Force to commission a Concise Monograph. The aim is to provide the reader with a single document compiling both probiotic and prebiotic concepts that the public often mixes up. It would contain science-based answers to questions on modulating the gut microbiota by dietary intervention with probiotics and prebiotics in a balanced and complementary way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

J. Neu, Guest Editor. Guidance for Assessing the Probiotics Beneficial Effects: How to Fill the GAP. The Journal of Nutrition 2010;140:S671-S721.

 

To download the poster on Exploring the Interactions between Probiotics and Health, please click here .

 

For more information, please contact info@ilsieurope.be.