• Ongoing. ISAPP Board responds to emerging issues in probiotics and prebiotics through commentaries or letters to the editor.
  • Guarner F, Sanders ME, Gibson G, Klaenhammer T, Cabana M, Scott K, Reid G, Delzenne N, Fahey G, Hill C. 2011. Probiotic and prebiotic claims in Europe: seeking a clear roadmap. Brit J Nutr. DOI:10.1017/S0007114511002248.
  • Sanders ME, Salminen S, Heimbach JT, Pot B, Tancredi D, Lenoir-Wijnkoop I, Bañares S, Lähteenmäki-Uutela A, Gueimonde M. 2011. Health claims substantiation for probiotic and prebiotic products. Gut Microbes 2:1-7.
  • Delzenne N, Reid G. No causal link between obesity and probiotics. Nature Rev Microbiol. 2009; 7(12):901.
  • Reid G, Gibson G, Sanders ME, Guarner F, Versalovic J. 2008. Probiotic prophylaxis in predicted severe acute pancreatitis. The Lancet 372:112-113.
  • Sanders ME, Hamilton-Miller, J, Reid G, Gibson G. 2007. A nonviable preparation of L. acidophilus is not a probiotic. Clin Infect. Dis. 44:886.
  • Reid, G. 2006. Flawed conclusion of more concern than the lactobacilli they discuss. BMJ online Letter. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/333/7576/1006
  • Tompkins TA, Sanders ME. 2004. Good intentions, poor study design. Can Fam Physician. 50:1499-500.
• June 9, 2009. ISAPP Clarifies the Definition of a Probiotic. Probiotics are live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. The field of probiotics is developing rapidly as evidenced by expansion of research and increased familiarity of probiotics to the general public. Over the years the FAO/WHO definition of probiotics remains applicable to scientific, industrial and regulatory communities, as long as it is interpreted correctly. Examples of misuse of the term exist both in the commercial arena, when the term is used on products with no substantiation of human health benefits, and in the scientific arena, where the term has been used to describe bacterial components, dead bacteria or bacteria with uncharacterized health effects in humans.


• October 16-17, 2006. ISAPP collaborated with the Drug Information Association to sponsor a meeting convened in Adelphi , Maryland, titled "Developing Probiotics as Foods and Drugs - Scientific and Regulatory Challenges". The Conference Proceedings were published as a Supplement in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The aim of this conference was to provide an overview of the historical and current human use of probiotics, what is known regarding the properties of the organisms, mechanisms of action, and the translation of basic science advances into clinical studies and potentially new probiotic applications. The current level of scientific evidence supporting the use of probiotics in the management of disease conditions or in maintaining well-being was discussed. The conference addressed the US regulatory status of probiotics, both as "foods" — including dietary supplements, and as "drugs." The discussion included a review of the global marketplace for probiotics, as well as the current US regulatory milieu and its impact on scientific research and evaluation of safety and biologic activity. Research and policy recommendations which would advance the field of probiotics were made by experts present at the meeting.


• June 22, 2005. Establishing Standards for Probiotic Products: ISAPP’s Role


• May 18, 2005. ISAPP meets with US Pharmacopeia to discuss probiotic standards: meeting report


• December 13-14, 2004. Heimbach attends European Food Safety Authority meeting in Brussels on "Scientific Colloquium on Microorganisms in Food and Feed: Qualified Presumption of Safety." Report.


• May 1, 2002. The first ISAPP meeting was held in conjunction with the FAO/WHO committee, which established the oft-cited guidelines for use of probiotics.

The following are papers that have been published about ISAPP, commissioned by ISAPP or produced as the output from ISAPP meetings:

• Champagne CP, Ross RP, Saarela M, Hansen KF, Charalampopoulos D. Recommendations for the viability assessment of probiotics as concentrated cultures and in food matrices. Appl Environ Microbiol. Int J Food Microbiol. 2011 Oct 3;149(3):185-93.
• Guarner F, Sanders ME, Gibson G, Klaenhammer T, Cabana M, Scott K, Reid G, Delzenne N, Fahey G, Hill C. 2011. Probiotic and prebiotic claims in Europe: seeking a clear roadmap. DOI:10.1017/S0007114511002248.
• Wallace TC, Guarner F, Madsen K, Cabana M, Gibson G, Hentges E, Sanders ME. 2011. Human Gut Microbiota and Their Relationship to Health and Disease. Nutrition Reviews 69:392-403.
• Sanders ME, Salminen S, Heimbach JT, Pot B, Tancredi D, Lenoir-Wijnkoop I, Bañares S, Lähteenmäki-Uutela A, Gueimonde M. 2011. Health claims substantiation for probiotic and prebiotic products. Gut Microbes 2:1-7.
• Monachese M, Cunningham-Rundles S, Diaz MA, Ermond E, Guerrant R, Hummelen R, Kemperman R, Kerac M, Kort R, Merenstein D, Panigrahi P, Ramakrishna B, Safdar N, Shane A, Trois L, Reid G. 2011. Probiotics and prebiotics to combat enteric diarrheal diseases and HIV in the developing world: a consensus report. Gut Microbes 2:198-207.
• O'Flaherty S, Saulnier D, Pot B, Versalovic J. How can probiotics and prebiotics impact mucosal immunity? Gut Microbes 2010; 1(5): 293-300. Open access: http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/30/article/12924/
• Reid G. 2010. The media and probiotics: provocation or dialogue? International Journal of Probiotics and Prebiotics 5(4):165-168.
• Sanders ME. 2010. International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics 2010 Meeting Report. Functional Food Reviews 2:131-140.
• Reid G. 2010. Putting science first – The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP). Functional Food Reviews. 2:124-130.
• Shane AL, Cabana M, Vidry S, Merenstein D, Hummelen R, Ellis CL, Heimbach JT, Hempel S, Lynch S, Sanders ME, Tancredi DJ. 2010. Guide to designing, conducting, publishing, and communicating results of clinical studies involving probiotic applications in human participants. Gut Microbes 1:243-253. Open access at http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/gutmicrobes/06-ShaneGUT1-4.pdf.
• Gibson GR, Scott KP, Rastall RA, Tuohy KM, Hotchkiss A, Dubert-Ferrandon A, Gareau M, Murphy EF, Saulnier D, Loh G, Macfarlane S, Delzenne N, Ringel Y, Kozianowski G, Dickmann R, Lenoir-Wijnkoop I, Walker C, Buddington R. 2010. Dietary prebiotics: Current status and new definition. IFIS Functional Foods Bulletin 7(1):1–19.
• Reid G, Gaudier E, Guarner F, Huffnagle GB, Macklaim J, Munoz AM, Martini M, Ringel-Kulka T, Sartor B, Unal R, Verbeke K, Walter J. 2010. Responders and non-responders to probiotic interventions: how can we improve the odds? Gut Microbes 1(3):1-5. Open access at: http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/30/article/12013/
• Sanders ME, Akkermans LMA, Haller D, Hammerman C, Heimbach J, Huys G, Levy D, Mack D, Phothirath P, Constable A, Solano-Aguilar G, Vaughan E. 2010. Assessment of probiotic safety for human use. Gut Microbes 1 (3):1-22. Open access at: http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/gutmicrobes/article/12127/
• Delzenne N, Reid G. No causal link between obesity and probiotics. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2009 Dec;7(12):901
• Reid, G. 2008. How science will help shape future clinical applications of probiotics. Clin. Infect. Dis. 46(Supplement 2): S62-S66.
• Reid G, Gibson G, Sanders ME, Guarner F, Versalovic J. 2008. Probiotic prophylaxis in predicted severe acute pancreatitis. The Lancet 372:112-113.
• Reid, G. 2008. Probiotics and prebiotics – Progress and challenges. International Dairy Journal, 18:969–975.
• Lenoir-Wijnkoop I, Sanders, M.E., Van Loo, J., Rayes, N., Timmerman, H., Sherman, P. Cabana, M., Corthier, G., Charbonneau, D., Vaneechoutte, M., Caglar, E., Wolvers, D., Manneck, I. 2007. Probiotic and prebiotic influence beyond the intestinal tract. Nutr Rev. 65:469-489.
• Sanders ME, Hamilton-Miller, J, Reid G, Gibson G. 2007. A nonviable preparation of L. acidophilus is not a probiotic. Clin Infect. Dis. 44:886.
• Reid G, Gibson GR, Gill HS, Klaenhammer TR, Rastall RA, Rowland I Sanders ME. 2006. Use of genetically modified microbes for human health. Microbial Ecol. Health Dis. 18: 75-76.
• Guarner F, Bourdet-Sicard R, Brandtzaeg P, Gill HS, McGuirk P, van Eden W, Versalovic J, Weinstock JV, Rook GA. 2006. Mechanisms of disease: the hygiene hypothesis revisited. Nat Clin Pract Gastroenterol Hepatol. 3(5):275-84.
• Reid, G. 2006. Flawed conclusion of more concern than the lactobacilli they discuss. BMJ online Letter. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/333/7576/1006
• Reid G, Anand S, Bingham MO, Mbugua G, Wadstrom T, Fuller R, Anukam K Katsivo M. 2005. Probiotics for the developing world. J Clin Gastroenterol. 39(6):485-8.
• Sanders ME, Guarner F, Mills D, Pot B, Rafter J, Rastall R, Reid G, Ringel Y, Rowland I, Saarela M, Tuohy K. 2005. Selected topics in probiotics and prebiotics: meeting report for the 2004 International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics. Cur Iss Intestinal Microbiol. 6: 55-68.
• Rastall R, Gibson G, Gill H, Guarner F, Klaenhammer T, Pot B, Reid G, Rowland I, Sanders ME. 2005. Modulation of the microbial ecology of the human colon by probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics to enhance human health: an overview of enabling science and potential applications. FEMS Microbial Ecology 52(2): 145-152.
• Sanders ME, Tompkins T, Heimbach J, Kolida S. 2005. Weight of evidence needed to substantiate a health effect for probiotics and prebiotics: scientific and regulatory considerations in Canada, EU, and U.S. Eur J Nutr. 44(5):303-10.
• Sanders ME. 2005. Objectives and activities of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics. In, Cesare Schiavi (Ed.) Probiotics, Biotherapeutics & Health. Mofin Alce, Novara, Italy., p. 206-216.
• Tompkins TA, Sanders ME. 2004. Good intentions, poor study design. Can Fam Physician. 50:1499-500.
• Mack D. 2004. D(-)-lactic acid producing probiotics, d(-)-lactic acidosis and infants. Canadian J Gastroenterol. 18:671-5.
• Reid G, Guarner F, Gibson G, Tompkins T, Gill H, Rowland I, Rastall B, Pot B, Sanders ME. 2004. Discussion on toll-like receptor 9 signaling mediates the anti-inflammatory effects of probiotics in murine experimental colitis. Gastroenterology. 127:366-7.
• Reid G., Sanders ME, Gaskins HR, Gibson GR, Mercenier A, Rastall R, Roberfroid M, Rowland I, Cherbut C, Klaenhammer T R. 2003. New scientific paradigms for probiotics and prebiotics. J Clin Gastroenterol. 37:105-118.
• Ferber D. 2002. Much ferment on the probiotics front. ASM News. 68:369-370. PDF.
• Credibility for probiotics. ISAPP supports research investigating beneficial microorganisms. California Dairy Dispatch. Vol. 12(2), Fall 2002. PDF.

The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) convened a 4th by-invitation meeting June 16-18, 2006. Hosted by Dr. Ian Rowland on the campus of the modern University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, 84 scientists from 19 countries and four continents. The meeting included four presentations in the Plenary Session by Jeff Leach (Paleobiotics Lab, Silver City NM), Alexander Swidsinski (The University Hospital Charité of the Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany), Phil Sherman (Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Canada), and Lesley Houghton (University of Manchester, UK). This Plenary Session was followed by an informal session highlighting controversies in the probiotic and prebiotic fields, and a Late Breaking News session featuring 5 minute talks by selected scientists on new developments in their laboratories. The signature event for these meetings is discussion sessions which were held the following day on the topics of: Probiotics as anti-infectives: prevention and adjunct therapy, chaired by Gregor Reid; Influence of culture preparation, delivery matrix and encapsulation/co-encapsulation on probiotic and prebiotic functionality, co-chaired by Paul Ross and Claude Champagne; Probiotics and prebiotics for the control of colorectal cancer: facts and promises, co-chaired by Ian Rowland and Francisco Guarner ; Mechanisms of gut flora, probiotic and prebiotic influence on sites distant from the intestinal tract, co-chaired by Mary Ellen Sanders and Irene Lenoir; Animal uses for probiotics and prebiotics: impact on antibiotic use, chaired by Bob Rastall; Functional genomics of probiotics, chaired by Jim Versalovic; and What determines the bacteria we inherit?, co-chaired by Glenn Gibson and Karen Scott. A report from the 2006 meeting titled "Probiotics and prebiotics - strain selection, dosage, functionality, omics and applications" has been prepared by Gregor Reid and submitted for publication in Trends in Microbiology. Other publications summarizing conclusions from certain individual groups are also forthcoming. Click here for the complete 2006 scientific program

In 2005, the ISAPP Board of Directors decided to try to expand ISAPP’s reach beyond the past presence in North America and Europe. Especially of interest was to expand scientific communication to regions of the world not easily able to participate in state-of-the-art conferences on probiotics and prebiotics. Toward this end, we are now pleased to report that we have helped set up or will be participating in conferences or mini-symposia in several locations:

Asia:

• 3rd Asian Conference for Lactic Acid Bacteria & 9th National Congress of Indonesian Society for Microbiology, Indonesia August 2005
  download report
  Download ISAPP-sponsored abstracts: Gill  Gopal  Crane  Crittenden

Eastern Europe:

• European Conference on Probiotics and their Applications, Poland October 2005
  http://confer.uj.edu.pl/euprobio
  download report

Africa:

• 18th International Nutrition Congress, Gastroenterology - Probiotics and beneficial impact on health, S. Africa, September 2005
  download report

North America:

• American Academy of Microbiology Colloquium, Probiotic Microbes: The Scientific Basis, November 2-5, 2005, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  download report
• International Union of Microbiological Societies, symposium titled "Probiotic Functions of Microorganisms", July 27, 2005 San Francisco, California, USA
  download report

In addition to these activities, we are exploring additional action items:

• Development of small working groups to explore ‘best approaches’ for evaluation of efficacy for probiotics and prebiotics in human studies. This activity is in the conception stage. Initially, the target of allergy was chosen as an endpoint. We would like to try to identify a time and location in the US in the fall to convene about 5 clinical researchers, 5 interested industry scientists, several ISAPP scientists (total maximum about 15 people) to meet for a day to discuss best clinical approaches. If this pilot goes well, we would hope to convene groups with different targets, such as intestinal microbiology, wellness, etc.
• Collaborating with WHO/FAO to develop a Codex ‘standard of identity’ for the use of the term ‘probiotic’. If adopted, products using this term on product labels would have to meet certain minimum criteria of safety, product composition and efficacy.

3rd Meeting of ISAPP Held in Colorado August 28-31, 2004

The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) met for the 3rd time to discuss the latest scientific developments in this rapidly growing field. This by-invitation meeting, surrounded by the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains in Copper Mountain Colorado August 29-31 2004, convened 84 invited scientists from 13 countries. Presentations by Joel Weinstock (University of Iowa), Thadeus Stappenbeck (Washington University School of Medicine), Connie Weaver (Purdue University), Ian Rowland (Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health) and Peter Lee (Stanford University) covered a range of topics from use of helminthes to modulate immune dysregulation to probiotics bioengineered to improve resistance to HIV. Discussion sub-groups were convened for a full day on the topics of Engineered probiotics as therapeutics: formats and challenges; Host commensal interactions - who talks to whom and how; Omics technologies - exploration of the interaction of pro and prebiotics with the host; Hygiene and immune regulation; Biomarkers for healthy people; Prebiotic and probiotic applications to companion animals; Development of a probiotic dossier using science-based criteria and Physiological relevance of prebiotic activity. A report from the 2004 meeting has been prepared and submitted for publication (Sanders, ME, Guarner, F, Mills, D, Pot, B, Rafter, J, Rastall, R, Reid, G, Ringel, Y, Rowland, I, Saarela, M, and Tuohy, K. Selected Topics in Probiotics and Prebiotics: Meeting Report for the 2004 International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics. Current Issues Intestinal Microbiol., Submitted)

In addition to the academic participants, about 25 industry scientists participated in the meeting. Twenty companies committed to science-driven probiotic and prebiotic product development contributed financially and scientifically to the meeting. Most companies are members of the ISAPP Industry Advisory Committee. This body interacts closely with the ISAPP Board of Directors, identifying key scientific issues important to the advancement of this field.

ISAPP is a non-profit scientific organization incorporated in 2002. Meetings of ISAPP were held in Ontario Canada in 2002 and Henley-on-Thames , UK in 2003. More information on this organization can be found at the ISAPP website.

Click here for the complete 2004 scientific program

Click here for press release

• The 2003 meeting of ISAPP was held August 3-5 in Henley-on-Thames outside of London UK. 70 scientists from 20 countries convened for general lectures and in 7 smaller discussion groups to discuss clinical study design/biostatistics (chaired by Ian Rowland), Probiotics and prebiotics: the potential to impact worldwide health (chaired by Gregor Reid), Genotype vs. phenotype (chaired by Todd Klaenhammer), Biotechnology, stability, manufacture, biotechnological presentation of prebiotics and synbiotics (chaired by Bob Rastall), Weight of evidence for a probiotic/prebiotic effect: what is needed? (chaired by Mary Ellen Sanders), Pathogen modulation (acute and chronic illness mediated by pathogens) - what is the direct action of pro/prebiotics? (chaired by Harsharn Gill), Probiotics and prebiotics through life - age relationships, use in infants, weaning, elderly (chaired by Glenn Gibson). The discussion from this meeting have been summarized and submitted for publication (Rastall, R., Gibson, G., Gill, H., Guarner, F., Klaenhammer, T., Pot, B., Reid, G., Rowland, I., Sanders, M.E. Modulation of the microbial ecology of the human colon by probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics to enhance human health: an overview of enabling science and potential applications. FEMS Microbial Ecology.)
• Conclusions from the 2003 group on "Weight of evidence for a probiotic/prebiotic effect: what is needed?" was published: Sanders ME, Tompkins T, Heimbach JT, Kolida S. 2004. Weight of evidence needed to substantiate a health effect for probiotics and prebiotics. Regulatory considerations in Canada , E.U., and U.S. Eur J Nutr. Sep 2; [Epub ahead of print]
• Concise responses to industry questions on immune biomarkers, gut flora improvement, probiotic dose, D,L-lactate, ‘human origin’ for probiotic strains, undefined probiotics, live vs. dead probiotics, definition of prebiotics and prebiotics with proven effects can be found here.

ISAPP convened an inaugural by-invitation workshop in London, Ontario May 3-5, 2002. A report on this meeting was published:

• Reid, G, M. E. Sanders, H. R. Gaskins, G. Gibson, A. Mercenier, R. Rastall, M. Roberfroid, I. Rowland, C. Cherbut, and T. R. Klaenhammer. 2003. New Scientific Paradigms for Probiotics and Prebiotics. Journal Clinical Gastroenterology. 37(2):105-118

Groups from the 2002 meeting:

• Definitions and Standards (report, group participants)
• Immune (report, group participants)
• Genetics (photo, report, group participants)
• Intestinal Microbiota and Dietary Modulation (photo, report, group participants)
• Cancer (photo, report, group participants)
• Extra-Intestinal Sites (photo)
• Second Generation Prebiotics (report, group participants)
• Intestinal Disease (group participants) (report not available: submitted for publication elsewhere)