Probiotics are viable microorganisms which, if ingested in adequate amounts, confer health benefit to the host. The beneficial effects of probiotics depend on the dose and the strains involved. Thus, an authentic probiotic food must contain the amount of viable cells of the specific probiotic strain specified on the label also to provide the claimed beneficial health effects.
While the production of probiotic foods and supplements is spreading worldwide, the quali- and quantitative content information on the label might be misleading. Indeed, several studies have reported inconsistency between the actual content of commercial probiotic foods & dietary supplements and their label information in terms of dose of viable cells, type of microorganism (at genus, species or strain level) and, therefore, the health benefit claimed.
Such findings prompt the need to assess the authenticity of these products. This Research Topic aims to gather the latest research on probiotic foods and dietary supplements authenticity evaluation. Submitted manuscript should include particularly the following topics:
• authenticity of probiotic foods and supplements,
• legislation of probiotic food and supplements,
• development and application of chemical, molecular and omics methods to assess the authenticity of probiotic foods and supplements.
Research papers, reviews, perspectives and opinion papers concerning these themes are welcome.
Probiotics are viable microorganisms which, if ingested in adequate amounts, confer health benefit to the host. The beneficial effects of probiotics depend on the dose and the strains involved. Thus, an authentic probiotic food must contain the amount of viable cells of the specific probiotic strain specified on the label also to provide the claimed beneficial health effects.
While the production of probiotic foods and supplements is spreading worldwide, the quali- and quantitative content information on the label might be misleading. Indeed, several studies have reported inconsistency between the actual content of commercial probiotic foods & dietary supplements and their label information in terms of dose of viable cells, type of microorganism (at genus, species or strain level) and, therefore, the health benefit claimed.
Such findings prompt the need to assess the authenticity of these products. This Research Topic aims to gather the latest research on probiotic foods and dietary supplements authenticity evaluation. Submitted manuscript should include particularly the following topics:
• authenticity of probiotic foods and supplements,
• legislation of probiotic food and supplements,
• development and application of chemical, molecular and omics methods to assess the authenticity of probiotic foods and supplements.
Research papers, reviews, perspectives and opinion papers concerning these themes are welcome.
