On March 7th, 2003, the FDA proposed labeling and manufacturing standards for all dietary supplements. Under the cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) proposal, manufacturers would be required to evaluate the identity, purity, quality, strength and composition of their dietary ingredients and dietary supplements.
Probiotic products have been marketed for a number of years, primarily in the yogurt category or as live microbial dietary supplements whose biological activity needed to be preserved. This tends to limit their consumption to supplements taken after meals or in fresh dairy foods. One technology now makes it possible to "have your probiotic and eat it, too!"