Is your probiotic-containing food providing you the benefit you think it is? A recent review conducted by professors at the University of Toronto and published in the journal Nutrients, found that, although most probiotic food products contain bacterial strains that have been shown to have health benefits, the amount of probiotic bacteria contained in foods is often much lower than the effective dose shown in studies. This study demonstrates the importance for product formulators to not only ensure products contain appropriate amount of probiotic bacteria during formulation, but also over the shelf life of a product. This amount will vary by strain, as well as product type, making universal recommendations for formulation amounts a challenge.
