Probiotics- the journey continues

Papers from the recent Society of Dairy Technology's spring conference on probiotics are reviewed. Legislation relating to probiotic health claims was outlined, with comparison of the EU with other countries, including Japan. Research evidence for numerous probiotic benefits was described, with particular focus on obesity-related disorders, antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, infections and cancer. The mechanisms of activity underlying these effects were explained. Research on the gut microbiota early and late in life was presented, with examples of new product development. The physicochemical and microbial considerations for probiotic delivery in a cheese matrix were discussed, and the manufacturing process for galacto-oligosaccharides used in infant formula was outlined.