Trends and Possibilities of the Use of Probiotics in Food Production

Abstract This chapter introduces the possibility of using probiotics in food products as well as the trends in modern food technology that are directed towards producing healthy and safe foods. Functional foods are natural or processed foods that contain known biologically active compounds, which when administered in defined quantitative and qualitative amounts, provide a clinically proven health benefit. One example of a functional food is a probiotic. Probiotic products should contain probiotic microorganisms at levels of more than 10 6 CFU/g (CFU/mL) until the end of their shelf life. This is called the “minimum therapeutic” level. The ability of these products to improve health also depends on the raw material (matrix) used. Food matrices can affect the stability of probiotic microorganisms during passage through the gastrointestinal tract. The media should provide longevity and activity of these microorganisms. The choice of production technology for the manufacture of probiotic foods is dependent on the consistency of the raw material used (e.g., liquid or solid) and on the method of production (e.g., fermented or unfermented). Probiotics have traditionally been delivered to fermented dairy products. Another use of probiotics is in nondairy-fermented foods such as vegetables, fruits, and dry fermented meat products. An alternative embodiment of the modern food technology is to add the microencapsulated probiotic microorganisms to unfermented foods.