Functional foods as carriers for SYNBIO®, a probiotic bacteria combination

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Microbiology
• Nutrition

Background:

• Functional foods are increasingly popular for health benefits.
• Probiotics, live beneficial bacteria, require viability for efficacy.
• Maintaining probiotic viability in food products is a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel probiotic food products using specific probiotic strains.
• To assess the survival and viability of probiotics in various food matrices.
• To evaluate the potential of these foods as delivery vehicles for probiotic health benefits.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of Lactobacillus rhamnosus IMC 501® and Lactobacillus paracasei IMC 502® (SYNBIO®) into diverse food types.
• Monitoring probiotic concentration (CFU/g) throughout the shelf-life of developed products.
• Analysis of probiotic viability in both dairy and non-dairy food matrices.

Main Results:

• Probiotic concentrations ranged from 10⁷ to 10⁹ CFU/g at the end of shelf-life.
• High probiotic viability was maintained in cheeses, ice cream, salami, and chocolate products.
• Viability was sustained beyond the expiry date in some of the tested food products.

Conclusions:

• Developed dairy and non-dairy food products effectively deliver probiotics.
• The tested foods are excellent vehicles for probiotic health benefits due to sustained viability.
• Probiotic efficacy can be maintained in functional foods even after their expiration date.