Science and technology for the mastership of probiotic applications in food products

Probiotics, defined as live microorganisms which when consumed in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host, are a common part of our daily diet. Since their conception in the early 20th century, the health benefit applications of probiotics have been expanding, culminating in the recent challenge of health claim substantiation in Europe. This paper highlights the different application areas of probiotics, introduces the use of non-viable microorganisms to confer health benefits, and explains the recent regulatory challenges surrounding probiotics. It then describes in detail the different stages in the development of food products containing probiotic bacteria starting from the selection of suitable strains for industrial production. The description of production of probiotic powders with specific focus on strategies to maintain high viability during drying and storage then follows. The paper finishes with a discussion of probiotic stability in liquid products, followed by a description of the use of probiotics to improve nutrient bioavailability and digestibility of the food products, which they ferment or biotransform.