Synbiotics: a technological approach in food applications

The purpose of the present review is to explore the research about synbiotic food diversity, as well as the probiotics and prebiotics concentration used there in, and the different tests that this type of food is subjected to. The interaction probiotic–prebiotic–food is complex. The role of probiotics is clear, but the role of prebiotics is variable, as they are used for different purposes. The required doses in order to exert beneficial effects upon consumer health are adequate for probiotics, but not for prebiotics. The food processes affect in different ways the probiotics growth. It is essential to carry out more studies with protection technologies for probiotics, on the other hand, it is needed to assess if probiotics survival is because of the food matrix or because of the prebiotic with further experimentation.