Current situation and prospects for applications of probiotics in the food industry and its effects on human health

Abstract

The aim of this study was to review the current evidence on the application of probiotics in the food industry and its effects on human health, motivated by the growing interest that these products have attracted in recent times by the world population that seeks to find in them a better quality of life and your health. To do a thorough search in the main databases of scientific papers published worldwide on probiotics in food and medical studies of its efficacy in the treatment and control of human disease was performed. This document begins with a description of probiotic microorganisms, their classification and representative genres as well as lactic acid bacteria, their role in the food industry, the main fermented foods which are involved. And found evidence of their effectiveness in scientific research in which the viability and functionality of the probiotic strains used are shown; in turn was a review of the main methods used to preserve and maintain viable probiotics for incorporation into food. Current information on the beneficial effects that probiotics can contribute to human health after ingestion and diseases in which these organisms are being used as alternative treatment described was also reviewed.

 Concluding that probiotics has great potential remains to be tapped, due to current limitations, many ethical; the lack of regulation for such products; the lack of experimental designs, the lack of scientific rigor to achieve them, the same current industry trend to bring new products to market that have no previous studies to support their effectiveness.