Abstract
The probiotic market increases world-wide every year and probiotic interventions improve health and wellbeing. However, the growing scientific and commercial interest on probiotics has not been accompanied by an equal increase in the quality of the products. Thus, definition of detailed guidelines to check the compliance of probiotics with the label claims is crucial. To this extent, the main outcome of this project is the definition of protocols and guidelines for the evaluation of the quality and functionality of probiotics for human consumption. The following quality criteria (Qc) are considered: Qc-1, taxonomy, functionality, and safety of strains; Qc-2, cell viability and core-benefits quantification; Qc-3, functional profiling of the probiotic strain depending on product formulation and production technology; Qc-4, culture-dependent evaluation of probiotic viability and changes in metabolic profiles when administered with foods endowed with their own microbial population.
Project details
Unibo Team Leader: Beatrice Vitali
Unibo involved Department/s:
Dipartimento di Farmacia e Biotecnologie
Coordinator:
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore(Italy)
Total Unibo Contribution: Euro (EUR) 47.965,00
Project Duration in months: 24
Start Date:
12/10/2023
End Date:
28/02/2026
