DAIRY
Probiotic Products:
An Untapped Potential
P
eople around the world are now p ay i n g c l o s e r atte nt i o n to t h e nutritional profile of foods, including the composition of their ingredients. This has put additional pressure on regional, national and even international level food and beverage manufacturers, as they have to respond to the renewed market forces by reducing or cutting out fat, salt and sugar, as well as preservatives, additives and colourings. This is resulting in vigorous market research, and the launching of a slew of healthy foods. People’s rising consciousness about healthy foods is reflected in the growing popularity of probiotic foods, which are nowadays emerging as an important category of food supplement in India. Probiotic elements in dairy products have become part of our diet. Their presence is there in milk, yogurt and ice cream products. Probiotic products are being launched after extensive research and these are made available in India by Amul, Mother Dairy, Nestle and breakfast buffets of five star hotels.
What are Probiotics? Probiotics, also known as ‘friendly bacteria’ in lay terms, are live, non-pathogenic microorganisms that benefit the consumers’ digestive system. We can say probiotics are “live micro-organisms which, when ingested in adequate amounts as a single strain or
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as a combination of strains, confer one or more specified health benefits to the consumers.” According to the adopted definition by FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) and WHO (World Health Organization), probiotics are “Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.” All the bacteria are not bad and there are actually strains of ‘good’ bacteria that do battle with the ‘bad’ bacteria and help promote a healthy digestive system. It is hard to believe, but antibiotics apparently kill the good bacteria as well as the bad, which explains why many experience digestive difficulties while taking antibiotics. To restore the balance, or the ratio of good bacteria to bad bacteria in the body, many folks who are on antibiotics take probiotic products that comes in a variety of forms. Our digestive systems have around four hundred different types of probiotic bacteria, and the best known is Lactobacillus acidophilus. There are others including B i f i d o b a cte r i u m a n d S t re pto co cc u s thermophilus, and these are the strains most often found in probiotic products. I n to d ay ’ s h e a l t h co n s c i o u s s o c i ety, probiotics are becoming fashionable as a means of promoting all kinds of digestive improvements. Probiotic foods can also be unhealthy
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sometimes. For example, if the addition of probiotics is not done properly, the results could be disastrous. The probiotic bacteria can confer health benefits only if they are consumed in right quantities. In India, probiotics have mostly found their way into curd and ice-creams. Probiotic curds in India are marketed by Amul, Nestle and Mother Dairy. Probiotics have potential health benefits for conditions such as gastrointestinal i nfe ct i o n s , g e n i to u r i n a ry i nfe ct i o n s , allergies and certain bowel disorders, all of which afflict a considerable proportion of the global population.
Caution Probiotic curd has gradually risen in popularity, as a health food, but a research paper published in The Lancet, a renowned British medical journal, says that the “good bacteria” commonly found in probiotic yogurt (commonly known as curd in India) and drinks, can be fatal for people suffering from severe pancreatitis. People have to be careful because probiotics can not only be harmful in cases of pancreatitis but also in liver infections and general infections like gastroenteritis. Fu r t h e r m o r e , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), consulting a physician before administering probiotics to infants or to people with compromised
Dec-Jan ’22
