There is a growing market for foods containing probiotic bacteria, and a wide variety of probiotic strains are now being added to an array of food products. Heat and shelf-stable probiotics are increasingly gaining attention in processed food industry to manufacture functional and traditional foods with probiotics. Major drivers for this growth include an increasing awareness of the importance of digestive health, use of alternatives to drugs for side effect-free health and growing interest in immunity, health & wellness from the global pandemic. Antibiotics are a common treatment for gastrointestinal ailments but can confer antibiotic resistance and unintended elimination of the gastrointestinal microbiome or narrowing of its microbial diversity. Probiotics offer a promising option for treating gastrointestinal ailments like diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and Crohn’s disease, without spreading antibiotic resistance. Probiotics are live microorganisms which can provide a health benefit when consumed in adequate amounts. Probiotics can help balance bacteria in the gut, promote a healthy digestive system, and strengthen the immune system.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the drivers of growth for probiotics, the role of probiotics in gut health and other health benefits, and how they work
- Identify major types and common probiotics including Bacillus coagulans LSBC
- Learn how to select and incorporate probiotics into baked goods
Presenters
Sophia Leung, Enzyme Innovation
