Prebiotics and probiotics have recently been top-of-mind for consumers, food product developers, marketers, researchers, ingredient manufacturers and food companies. Although some basic understanding of these terms in the food industry exists, their function, health benefits, mode of application in food systems and regulatory issues are very complex. The better they are understood, the more effectively they can be incorporated into food products.
Prebiotics
Prebiotics are basically non-digestible food ingredients that can benefit the human body by stimulating the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria -- also known as probiotics -- in the colon. A more precise definition by the International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) is “a selectively fermented ingredient that results in specific changes in the composition and/or activity of the gastrointestinal microbiota, thus conferring benefit(s) upon host health.”