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.