Probiotic All-Pros

Pre- and probiotics and the digestive health/immunity they support continue their upward trend. But are product makers using them correctly?

Consumer interest in the role of functional foods that help support immunity is still foremost in the “Better For You” category, and forecast to continue at the very least for another 5-7 years. And foremost among these functional foods and ingredients are fermented foods that are rich in probiotic bacteria and the fibers and starches they feed on. When active and combined, they physically help to build a healthy digestive system, as well as produce functional components that help protect against disease and dysfunction. Such fermented foods include yogurts, kefir, cottage cheese, and other cultured dairy, as well as sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables.

While it is widely accepted in the US that a probiotic is any beneficial microbial organism in our body, whether exogenous or endogenous, according to the EFSA—the European Food Safety Authority—only those beneficial microorganisms that we ingest are considered probiotic. This is the definition used by Prepared Foods, as it is more accurate. However, many of today’s food and beverage formulators, in a rush to serve the exponentially growing consumer demand for immunity-targeting products, are not always incorporating these ingredients correctly.

Dana McCurdy, PhD, a fermentation scientist and expert on kefir and other dairy food fermentation with special focus on probiotics and the functional components of fermented foods, was interviewed for Prepared Foods and discusses how to bring probiotics and prebiotic fibers and starches together into formulations to where they are at maximum efficacy.

Among other aspects, Dr. McCurdy focuses on the need for fermented dairy to have sufficient fat content to protect the living probiotic bacteria from the harsh environment of the stomach and upper digestive tract sufficiently for it to reach areas in the small and large intestine where they can form colonies that do their work helping to protect the body from such states as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pulmonary issues and even promote cognitive and mental health and well-being.

To listen to Dr. McCurdy’s podcast on immunity, watch the video interview above or listen to the audio version below.

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David Feder, RDN, has been a food, nutrition and health journalist for 26 years. In spite of an academic background that began with psychology and biblical archaeology, David cut his teeth as a celebrated chef in Texas during the 1970s and 1980s, helping pioneer haute-health & fusion cuisines in high-end restaurants and hotels. In the 1990s he became a registered dietitian while completing research and coursework toward a Ph.D. in nutrition biochemistry at the University of Texas at Austin. Along the way he taught food science and nutrition while practicing as a nutrition counselor.

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