Market potential for probiotics

Abstract

"Functional foods" as a marketing term was initiated in Japan in the late 1980s and is used to describe foods fortified with ingredients capable of producing health benefits. This concept is becoming increasingly popular with consumers because of a heightened awareness of the link between health, nutrition, and diet. Food manufacturers are enthusiastic about developing such products because the added ingredients give increased value to food. The global market for functional foods in the coming years is predicted to grow rapidly. Although Japan currently accounts for about one-half of this market, the fastest rate of growth is expected to be in the United States. Probiotic products represent a strong growth area within the functional foods group and intense research efforts are under way to develop dairy products into which probiotic organisms such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species are incorporated. Such probiotic foods may modulate gut microbial composition, thereby leading to improved gut health, for example, through improved tolerance to lactose in lactose-intolerant individuals or improved resistance to pathogenic bacteria. Large numbers of viable microorganisms are likely to be required in the food product, which should be consumed regularly to experience the health effect. The probiotic market, especially dairy products such as yogurts and fermented milks, has experienced rapid growth in Europe. The long-term exploitation of probiotics as health promoters is dependent on several factors, including sound, scientifically proven clinical evidence of health-promoting activity; accurate consumer information; effective marketing strategies; and, above all, a quality product that fulfills consumer expectations.

Molecular characterization of Bifidobacterium longum biovar longum NAL8 plasmids and construction of a novel replicon screening system

“…Bifidobacteria are becoming commercially and economically significant ingredients in the fermented dairy products and food supplement industries because of their claimed probiotic properties (Stanton et al 2001).…”

Textura instrumental de queijo petit-suisse potencialmente probiótico: influência de diferentes combinações de gomas

“…Atualmente, a definição aceita internacionalmente para probióticos é que eles são microorganismos vivos que, administrados em quantidades adequadas, conferem benefícios à saúde do hospedeiro [11,32]. O mercado de laticínios probióticos tem crescido rapidamente na Europa e continua em plena expansão [37,38]. A utilização conjunta de L. acidophilus e Bifidobacterium spp.…”

Glycosyl hydrolases from Bifidobacterium adolescentis DSM20083. An overview

“…Probiotics and/or prebiotics can be classified as functional food because it is claimed that they have health-promoting properties for the consumer [6,25,27]. A prebiotic is 'a non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon that have the potential to improve host health' [4].…”