A Manufacturer's Guide to Probiotics

The probiotic industry has seen a very steady growth in last couple of years, mostly because of the to increased awareness among consumers regarding probiotics’ health benefits.

However, it is important to choose the right probiotic to get those benefits.

For a probiotic to be effective, it should supply the live and functional microorganisms to the consumer. A manufacturer must be familiar with the heat and chemical stability, among other characteristics, of the probiotics they work with.

Most probiotics tend to lose their viability unless handled carefully. This has been a major hurdle for manufacturers and consumers. Instability in manufacturing, the refrigeration of the end products, and shorter shelf life can be limiting factors for success.

Enteric coating of active species definitely helps to deliver the active in its full potency. It also takes care of the need to use of large overages in the formulation to insure potency, thus reducing the bulk. Since enteric coating helps the active ingredient reach the site of action in its full potency, the manufacturer can make an assured label claim.

In the case of spore-forming bacteria, the spore form acts as a natural shield to ward off the harsh climatic or manufacturing conditions. Spore-forming bacteria, such as B coagulans, have a longer shelf life at room temperature, so they are able to sustain their beneficial effect even in a harsh environment or throughout the manufacturing processes without loss of activity. They also retain their activity in the GI tract and survive the extremely acidic condition in the stomach and germinate in the intestine, delivering benefits more effectively.

The B coagulans product physiologically important L(+) Lactic acid and bacteriocins that help to inhibit the growth of the pathogens and help in maintaining the health gut flora.

LactoSpore, our B coagulans spores, is one such spore-forming bacteria, is used as a probiotic in both dietary supplements and food. LactoSpore is a self-affirmed GRAS product, which gives the food manufacturers an advantage.

And if you think GRAS status isn’t important, consider this: Most food manufacturers won’t even look at an ingredient without GRAS status.