Summary
This paper, authored by Hill et al. and published in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology in 2014, presents the outcome of an ISAPP expert panel tasked with re-evaluating the definition of probiotics in light of accumulated scientific evidence. The panel reaffirmed and refined the widely used definition of probiotics as 'live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host'. The work provides guidance on distinguishing genuine probiotic products from fermented foods and live cultures, and outlines the evidentiary standards considered appropriate for probiotic classification.
UK applicability
Although not UK-specific, this consensus definition has been widely adopted internationally and is directly relevant to UK regulatory frameworks, including those governing health claims on food and supplement products under retained EU law and MHRA guidance. UK researchers, clinicians and food manufacturers are likely to reference this definition when substantiating probiotic product claims.
Key measures
Definitional criteria for probiotics; threshold of evidence required for probiotic designation; taxonomic and functional classification considerations
Outcomes reported
The paper reports the outcome of an expert panel convened by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) to revisit and clarify the definition of probiotics, examining the evidence base required to substantiate probiotic claims and distinguishing probiotics from related concepts such as live cultures and fermented foods.
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