Baking & Snack - December 2013 - 52

PROBIOTICS

EU uncertain over probiotics
As of Dec. 14, 2012, the term "probiotic" can no longer appear
on food labels in many European Union (EU) countries. How
this will impact the future of probiotics in the US is uncertain.
Many factors contributed to this state of affairs in the EU,
according to Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD, Centennial, CO, a
global authority on probiotics. "First, there was a lack of clear
direction from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
panel regarding what research was required to get a claim
approved, she said. "Then, in EFSA's review of the research
"
that was submitted, the panel excluded many well-conducted
studies on probiotics because the studies were on patient
(not healthy) populations or disease outcomes. Such studies
- although clearly demonstrating a positive role of probiotics on health - are considered not appropriate for food
claims, Dr. Sanders said.
"
Finally, she noted, the high standard of evidence required
by EU authorities may be unrealistic for foods. "However,
as regulatory expectations become clearer and as assessors
become more knowledgeable, I expect that specific probiotic claims are likely to be approved in the EU, she said.
"
"Nonetheless, until this time, even the word 'probiotic' is
restricted in most of the EU.
"
This does not mean probiotics have been taken out of
foods. Rather, strain identity and sometimes cell count are
simply stated on ingredient legends and product labels, according to Mirjana Curic-Bawden, senior scientist and application manager, fermented milk and probiotics, Chr. Hansen
Inc., Milwaukee, WI. "EU consumers have been around probiotics for more than 25 years. They are familiar with probiotic
brands, the strains and their function.
"Though it is necessary to set high standards and differentiate between well-documented and poorly or non-documented probiotic strains, it is a disservice to consumers to remove
the word 'probiotics' from package labels because it helps
them quickly identify such products, Ms. Curic-Bawden said.
"
"Savvy consumers can find the probiotics they are looking
for by reading the small print on product labels. If strain identity (scientific name and designation) is disclosed, consumers can search the Internet, look for credibility and find the
science behind it.
"
Dr. Sanders predicted that use of the term "probiotic" as a
general descriptor may be a real possibility because the word
itself is not making a health claim. Health claims are strain-specific. "There are active discussions among some stakeholders
on this right now, she said. "But if I understand correctly, the
"
EU is involved in discussions of the rules for the category of
'general descriptors,' and only after those are developed, will
they address if 'probiotic' is appropriate as a general descriptor. So I don't expect that a ruling on such use is imminent.
"

/ Baking & Snack / December 2013

life of fresh dairy foods positively impacts the probiotics'
viability and efficacy.
"When formulating with probiotics, typical challenges
that need to be considered are elevated temperatures in
processing and storage, and low pH," said Peggy Steele,
global business director, food and beverage probiotics,
DuPont Nutrition & Health, Madison, WI. "For probiotics to survive processing, they should be added at a point
when there are no more heating steps and the product
has been cooled.
"The best way to include probiotics is in a coating, filling, frosting or icing for select bakery items with lowwater activity, such as bars, crisp cookies, crackers and
wafers," Ms. Steele said. "Snacks and cereals are also viable vehicles to deliver probiotics." Application to snacks
and cereals involves spraying the finished product with a
stabilized probiotic solution in the same way that sugar
coatings are done.
Confectionary coatings can be used as a carrier of
probiotics because their high-fat matrix protects the
bacteria from the deleterious effects of moisture and oxygen. Such probiotic inclusions must be added after baking since they are not protected from high temperatures.
Another option is to choose naturally protected bacteria referred to as spore-formers. "Spore-forming bacteria
have been used in human and animal nutrition for more
than 50 years, principally for their good stability and
resistance to stomach digestion," Mr. Omvik-Grotkjaer
said. "When it comes to microorganisms, though, we
know that not all species and strains are alike and not all
benefit from the same level of documentation. A specific
Bacillus subtilis strain, R0179 (CNCM I-3471), is particularly well-identified and characterized. This strain benefits from proven probiotic features and has the ability to
be revived in the stomach. Moreover, having been marketed for more than 15 years in Asia as a pharmaceutical to support gut health, B. subtilis R0179 benefits from
a good track-record of safe and effective use with more
than 100 post-market clinical trials published.
"This bacteria is provided in its dormant state, whereby it is able to resist high-stress conditions such as
heat, acid, pressure and lack of nutrients," Mr. OmvikGrotkjaer added. "Spores are known to survive for years.
They become active again when there are favorable
conditions for growth.
"Bakers can, therefore, include live bacteria in baked
products such as cookies and bread," he continued. Since
January 2012, this bacteria strain has maintained selfapproved Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status.
Mr. Bush agreed that generally only spore-forming
bacteria are able to endure baking. "Non-spore-forming
bacteria are typically unable to survive harsh manufacturing processes," he said. "In addition, for a probiotic

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