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News
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008 and earlier
July 31, 2012
Students (undergraduates and graduates), post-doctoral fellows and residents can submit probiotic studies to Digestive Disease Week and compete for cash prizes as part of the Probiotic Challenge, sponsored by Lallemand Human Nutrition and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute. The Challenge aims to stimulate research in probiotics. Abstracts are due to DDW December 1, 2012. Information. July 10, 2012
April 17, 2012
Lallemand Human Nutrition, in partnership with the American Gastroenterological Association, announced a new edition of the "Probiotic Challenge," a competition for students working on probiotic research. If selected by the AGA and a team of judges, winners can present their study at DDW2013 and win cash prizes. Detailed information. April 16, 2012
National Public Radio interview with John Cryan, professor at University College Cork in Ireland, on study published in PNAS showing that Lactobacillus rhamnosus JB-1 reduced anxiety and depression-like behaviors in stressed mice. April 11, 2012
Probiotic industry members, Valio, Danone, Yakult, Chr Hansen, DuPont-Danisco, Probi and Lallemand formed the Global Alliance for Probiotics (GAP) to collaborate on defining a path forward for health claims for probiotics in the European Union. Read Nutraingredients article. February 26, 2012
The Institute of Medicine held a workshop February 22-23, 2012 on The Human Microbiome, Diet, and Health. Slides from this forum will be posted March 2 and a written summary of conclusions will be published. February 24, 2012
FDA’s Center for Biologic Evaluation and Research (CBER) issued a finalized guidance for industry on when an Investigational New Drug (IND) application is required for human research on live biotherapuetic agents. The draft guidance on a similar topic issued by CBER and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) October 2010 has not been finalized. This final guidance acknowledges that live microbes (probiotics) intended for use as foods or dietary supplements can be investigated with human studies without an IND. The new guidance falls short of acknowledging an IND-free research path for human studies on medical foods, foods for special dietary uses or to research a food Health Claim. Foods or dietary supplements being studied for drug purposes (cure, mitigate, treat, diagnose, or prevent disease) will require an IND. February 21, 2012
The Dannon Company announces the Dannon Probiotics Fellow Program to support the education of a student who excels in science and shows a strong interest in probiotics studies. The winner receives a scholarship equivalent to one year's tuition (up to $25,000, payable to the educational institution) and an all-expense paid trip to the Danone Research Center in France. Application deadline is March 31, 2012. Information. January 10, 2012
U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP, a standards-setting organization since 1820) recently announced publication of a monograph, "Microbial Food Cultures Including Probiotics," in Food Chemical Codex. General considerations for identification and enumeration, intended use in food, safety, regulatory status, and purity are discussed. January 6, 2012
The Global Probiotics Council has announced the fifth year of the Young Investigator Grant for Probiotics Research. The purpose of the two annual grants of $50,000 each is to contribute to the advancement of probiotics and gastrointestinal microbiota research in the United States, and to impact academic and career development of young investigators, attracting them into the field of probiotics and microbiota. Application deadline: February 15, 2012. Application procedures and additional details on the program can be found at www.probioticsresearch.com. December 2, 2011
ISAPP submits comments to the FDA on the draft guidance on new dietary ingredient notifications. ISAPP comments are grounded in the overall principle that NDIN requirements should have a reasonable potential to add to the overall understanding of safety (or to the existing data base with respect to a risk) and, if that potential is very low, we recommend that FDA endorse the use of discretion to conclude that additional testing is unnecessary. November 23, 2011
The World Gastroenterology Organisation has updated its 2008 practice guideline for probiotics and prebiotics. Of special interest are the updated Tables 8 and 9, which summarize the probiotic or prebiotic, dose and grading of evidence for a number of GI clinical conditions for which there is evidence. The table is global in focus, and the document – available now in English – will be available in other languages soon. WGO Practice Guideline - Probiotics and Prebiotics – 2011. November 22, 2011
New book written for the generalist covers fundamental microbiological concepts of bacterial evolution and behavior and provides perspective on their constructive and destructive activities. Bacteria. The Benign, the Bad, and the Beautiful, by Trudy Wassenaar is now available from Wiley-Blackwell. November 14, 2011
2011 update of Inventory of Microbial Food Cultures considered safe for use in foods. An International Dairy Federation (IDF) taskforce has updated a 2002 inventory of safe microbial species including some probiotic species. Details are provided by Prof. Egon Bech Hansen: Slides. Abstract. A manuscript is currently under review for International Journal of Food Microbiology. Nutraingredients article. October 31, 2011
August 26, 2011
August 29, 2011
August 10, 2011
Professor Seppo Salminen, University of Turku, Finland, announced the development of a website where a book covering Terminology for Functional Foods (including probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, health claims, sensory evaluation of foods, and molecular gastronomy) is available in English, Portuguese and Italian. Download for free. August 10, 2011
The publisher for the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council announced that PDF versions of 4,000 books (including topics of food, nutrition, health, and Reference Dietary Intakes) will be downloadable to anyone free of charge from its website. PDF versions can be obtained on the book's page and clicking the "Download Free PDF" button. July 12, 2011
July 5, 2011
ISAPP Past-President Gregor Reid traveled to Eastern Europe to attend the International Scientific Conference on Probiotics and Prebiotics in Kosice, Slovakia, as well as other events, and filed these personal reflections. Report. May 18, 2011
May 17, 2011
May 12, 2011
The much anticipated review of probiotic safety, conducted by the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Advancing Excellence in Health Care, and jointly sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), the NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), has been published. Safety of Probiotics to Reduce Risk and Prevent or Treat Disease.
April 29, 2011
Notice of registration deadline for FASEB Summer Research Conference "Probiotics, Intestinal Microbiota and the Host: Physiological and Clinical Implications", Carefree Resort, Carefree, Arizona, USA. The conference will be held July 24-29, 2011. Early registration deadline is June 1, 2011. Registration. Flyer.
April 29, 2011
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) released a final technical report from a stakeholders’ meeting December 2, 2010 meeting in Amsterdam. Titled “Outcome of a public consultation on the Draft Opinion of the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies (NDA) on a guidance on the scientific requirements for health claims related to gut and immune function,” this report includes a summary of comments received from the public on the draft guidance on gut and immune claims and the NDA panel’s response to those comments. Report. Updated guidance on gut and immune claim substantiation. April 1, 2011
ISAPP Past-President Gregor Reid was honored by Massey University with their Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. While in New Zealand accepting this award, Dr. Reid also was interviewed about probiotics for a radio show. This is a great discussion of basic probiotic information. March 18, 2011
Open letter to ISAPP membership from President, Glenn Gibson. ISAPP’s 10th anniversary approaches and Glenn discusses vision for ISAPP’s next 10 years. March 1, 2011
New Video from Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) examining probiotics launched today. "Germs with a Positive Attitude" features ISAPP Board members, Drs. Todd Klaenhammer and Mary Ellen Sanders. Press release. YouTube video link. CAST. March 1, 2011
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) will be hosting a presentation by Dr. Justin Sonnenburg of Stanford University on March 9, 2011 at 11:00 am EST titled "Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Small Molecules: Manipulating Host Biology Via the Intestinal Microbiota." To connect to the seminar via webinar, contact Cindy Lentino at ODS: lentinoc@od.nih.gov. March 1, 2011
The International Probiotics Association is hosting a free access webinar series “Pre & Probiotics 2011” 8:00 am New York time, March 29, 2011. Information. 2.25.2011
Probiotics European Scientific League (PESL) proposes independent logo to differentiate probiotic supplements that meet quality standards. The PESL will conduct testing and certification of products. Interview with Dr Jean-Pol Warzée, the general secretary and executive director of PESL, and Professor Bruno Pot, Pasteur Institute in Lille, France. 1.24.2011
1.13.2011
Regulatory issues that impact the probiotic and prebiotic fields seem to be an overriding concern of late. In Europe, EFSA’s NDA panel continues to reject all probiotic/prebiotic health claims, including claims submitted by Danone that Actimel can help with antibiotic-associated diarrhea and Yakult that its product can help defend against pathogens of the upper respiratory tract. Evidence provided by Danone included a human trial published in the British Medical Journal. Evidence provided by Yakult included a recent human study being submitted for publication conducted at Loughborough University, UK (NUTRA ingredients-usa.com report). European prebiotic and probiotic researchers expressed disagreement with the EU health claim approval process, registering their dissatisfaction on a website http://www.gut-health.eu/ designed to tally likeminded scientists on this issue ( NUTRA ingredients-usa.com report). In the USA, the FTC settled with Dannon over what claims it considers substantiated. Dannon agreed to some wording changes and qualifications on servings needed for gut regularity claim, but the settlement leaves Dannon able to continue making claims on immune support for DanActive and on digestive comfort and regularity for its Activia product ( NUTRA ingredients-usa.com report). The FDA Centers for Biologic Evaluation and Research and Drug Evaluation and Research (CBER and CDER, respectively) published a draft guidance document on when researchers must file an Investigational New Drug application when doing human research. In ISAPP’s opinion, this guidance did not adequately address the lawful conduct of human research on foods in the US without the need for an IND. ISAPP filed comments January 11 outlining its concerns with the draft guidance as written. 12.17.2010
Young Investigator Grant for Probiotics Research announced. Young investigators committed to basic research on gastrointestinal microbiota, probiotics and their role in health and wellness should apply. Application deadline: February 15, 2011. Two grants made available by Danone and Yakult in the amount of $50,000 are available. www.probioticsresearch.com.
12.15.2010
FDA Law Blog produced by Hyman, Phelps & McNamara law firm, recently noted an article (originally published in Food Chemical News) titled “ The Cost of Inadequate Substantiation”, which provides perspective by two US food law attorneys on FDA inaction and FTC action on allegedly false or misleading health benefit advertising claims on foods in the USA.
12.15.2010
12.15.2010
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11.29.2010
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11.3.2010
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11.3.2010
European Food Safety Authority published a scientific report titled " Bibliographic
review on the potential of microorganisms, microbial products and enzymes to induce
respiratory sensitization."
Report.
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11.3.2010
Danone Research launches probiotic research bulletin titled " Probiotic
Watch", which features summaries of newly published research and commentaries
by acclaimed scientists, including 2 former ISAPP board members, Drs. Bruno Pot
and James Versalovic.
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11.3.2010
The conclusions from the ILSI Europe Prebiotic Task Force has been published,
"Prebiotic Effects: Metabolic and Health Benefits". Dr. Marcel Roberfroid served
as lead author on this paper, which was published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Link to article.
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11.3.2010
Report from 2009 ISAPP meeting discussion group on mucosal immunity published
in Gut Microbes, authored by O'Flaherty, Saulnier, Pot and Versalovic.
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11.3.2010
ISAPP board member, Michael Cabana, MD, MPH, offered commentary in the Journal
of Pediatrics [157(5):864-5; 2010] regarding interpretation of recent metaanalysis
(Pediatrics 2010;125:921-30) on use of probiotics in NEC. He questioned the
value of aggregating different probiotic preparations into one metaanalysis and
emphasized that - contrary to the opinions expressed in the metaanalysis - that
further research is needed to assess the effectiveness of specific probiotic strains
for NEC.
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11.3.2010
The 4th year of the Young Investigator Grant for Probiotics Research sponsored
by Danone Research and Yakult has been announced. The purpose of the two annual
grants of $50,000 each is to contribute to the advancement of probiotics and gastrointestinal
microbiota research in the United States, and to impact academic and career development
of young investigators, attracting them into the field of probiotics and microbiota.
Application deadline: February 15, 2011. Application procedures and additional details
on the program can be found at
www.probioticsresearch.com.
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11.3.2010
FASEB Summer Research Conference titled " Probiotics, Intestinal Microbiota
and the Host: Physiological and Clinical Implications" will be held July
24-29, 2011, at Carefree Resort, Carefree, Arizona. Organizers: W. Allan Walker,
MD, Harvard Medical School and Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD, ISAPP Executive Director.
Additional program details will be available December 2010 at www.faseb.org/src.
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8.16.2010
EFSA announces Stakeholder meeting to be held December 2, 2010 in Amsterdam.
The topic will be scientific substantiation of health claims related to gut health
and immune function. Registration on EFSA website in September 2010. Additional
information from EFSA's Dr. Juliane Kleiner juliane.kleiner@efsa.europa.eu.
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6.18.2010
Conference Considers Options for US Federal Regulation of Probiotics. On June 14, 2010, The University of Maryland School of Law hosted
the first of a series of multidisciplinary meetings being held as part of a Human
Microbiome Project ELSI (Ethical, Legal, Social Implications) grant to study federal
regulation of probiotics. The project is headed by Diane E. Hoffmann, MS, JD, Associate
Dean for Academic Programs and Director, Law and Health Care Program, University
of Maryland School of Law. Participants in the conference included members of academia
and the scientific research, business, legal and federal regulatory communities,
and included two ISAPP board members, Gregor Reid and Mary
Ellen Sanders . This initial meeting focused on identifying key regulatory
issues and achieving a broad-based understanding of the science relating to probiotics
and the current federal regulatory framework for probiotics. Subsequent sessions
will focus on attempting to find answers to these questions. The next meeting is
being planned for January 2011. June 14 meeting
agenda.
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6.9.2010
International Dairy Federation Elie Metchnikoff Prize 2010 winners
announced in Tromsö, Norway. The IDF Elie Metchnikoff Prize 2010 was awarded in
three categories Nutrition and Health, Biotechnology and Microbiology. Awardees
included 2 ISAPP Board of Directors members, Prof. Todd R. Klaenhammer
and Prof. Colin Hill. In addition, Dr. Irene Lenoir-Wijnkoop
from Danone Research, who leant her support in the conceptualization and early implementation
stages of ISAPP’s creation, received the Elie Metchnikoff Prize 2010 Award of
Recognition. Details.
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6.3.2010
ILSI Europe Functional Foods Task Force has issued a report "Beyond PASSCLAIM -
Guidance to Substantiate Health Claims on Foods" from a meeting held 14-16 December
2009 in Nice, France.
Report
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6.3.2010
The 4-part lecture Webinar Series on Probiotics and Prebiotics, developed in collaboration
with the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) North America, the American
Gastroenterological Association and ISAPP, concluded on June 3, 2010. The 1-hour
lectures will be archived at the GI Learn section of the
AGA website.
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5.19.2010
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5.17.2010
Probiotic safety report of 2008 ISAPP discussion group "Assessment of probiotic
safety for human use" has been published by Gut Microbes.
Open access
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5.17.2010
NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine announces funding
opportunities in the area of probiotics and prebiotics.
Information.
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4.1.2010
The American Society for Nutrition in partnership with the American Academy of Family
Physicians will present a free webinar on nutrition and digestive health (July 14).
Information.
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3.31.2010
At the 7 th annual meeting of ISAPP this past November, a student/fellow
association (SFA) of ISAPP was founded. Under the insightful leadership
of Delphine Saulnier, the organization has approved a constitution and started a
website and Facebook page and proposed many additional activities. See http://isapp-sfa.camp7.org/ for information.
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3.25.2010
New book edited by Åsa Ljungh and Torkel Wadström titled Lactobacillus
Molecular Biology: From Genomics to Probiotics is now available from
Caister Academic Press. Reviews and
contents.
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2.18.2010
Third India Probiotics Symposium: “Probiotic Foods in Health and Disease”, held
November 21-22, 2009, in New Delhi, featuring keynote address by ISAPP Past President,
Gregor Reid.
Webcast.
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2.15.2010
A report was issued by 9 European scientific experts in the field of probiotics
on “ Current level of consensus on probiotic science-Report of an expert meeting.”
This report summarizes conclusions of a meeting held in London, 23 November 2009.
Download report.
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1.30.2010
The Global Health Program on Infectious Diseases group within the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation convened an exploratory session January 22-26 in London
UK to discuss evaluation of probiotics for the prevention and treatment of enteric
and diarrheal diseases in children in developing countries. The purpose of the meeting
was to explore the underlying science and potential directions forward.
Nineteen scientists, including ISAPP’s President, Glenn Gibson, and Executive
Director, Mary Ellen Sanders, were invited to meet with Foundation representatives
to explore the risks and benefits of investment in this application for probiotics.
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1.12.2010
The British Medical Journal (BMJ 2010;340:c77) summarized an investigation into
the Utrecht pancreatitis study (Lancet 2008, 371:651-9) by 3 agencies, the Dutch
Healthcare Inspectorate, the Central Commission on Research Involving Human Participants,
and the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. They concluded that the study
procedures were flawed, especially as related to reporting of adverse events,
but that there was no causal link between procedural flaws and higher number of
deaths in the probiotic consumption group.
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12.30.2009
International Dairy Federation announces opening of 2010 Elie Metchnikoff Prize.
This prize, co-sponsored by ISAPP, celebrates innovative ideas in the area of fermented
milks. Information.
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11.30.2009
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11.30.2009
Institut Rosell, in partnership with the American Gastroenterological Association
Institute, will be offering cash prizes for student research abstracts focusing
on probiotics. The Institut Rosell Probiotics Challenge is open to students
at a recognized college or university who submit a probiotics-related abstract to
the AGA annual meeting, DDW 2011.
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11.16.2009
World Gastroenterology Organisation Practice Guideline on Probiotics and Prebiotics,
initially issued in May 2008, are
now available in six languages, including Chinese and Russian.
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11.10.2009
The Global Probiotics Council has announced the third year of the Young Investigator
Grant for Probiotics Research. The two annual grants of $50,000 each are
designed to contribute to the advancement of probiotics and gastrointestinal microbiota
research in the United States. Application procedures and additional details on
the program can be found at www.probioticsresearch.com.
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10.19.2009
The World Gastroenterology Organisation has launched a
website with 'embedded' search strategies you can use to easily find the
latest evidence on probiotics.
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10.19.2009
As a follow up to the Health Canada release on April 22, 2009, of the guidance document
"The Use of Probiotic Microorganisms in Food", a Guide has been released by the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency to assist industries efforts on compliance on labels,
advertisements and web sites. The updated Guide also includes a list of probiotic
claims that are considered acceptable on food, without the need for further substantiation
by the manufacturer or importer, along with conditions for their use.
CFIA press release.
Guidance document 'The Use of Probiotic Microorganisms in Food.'
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10.2.2009
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recently rejected several efficacy
claims for probiotics. ISAPP responds.
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10.2.2009
Systematic review of probiotic safety commissioned by several US agencies.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS),
and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) are co-sponsoring
a systematic review of probiotic safety, Safety of Probiotics Used to Reduce Risk
and Prevent or Treat Disease. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville,
MD. Review protocol synopsis.
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10.1.2009
Dr. Gregor Reid, ISAPP President, Director of the Canadian Research & Development
Centre for Probiotics, and Assistant Director at Lawson Health Research Institute
was inducted to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) in recognition
of achievement in academic health sciences in Canada. Announcement.
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9.15.2009
No link between probiotics and obesity:
ISAPP responds to Nature Reviews Microbiology letter by Raoult.
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8.24.2009
A new journal, Functional Foods Reviews, publishes 3 open-access, probiotic reviews.
Sanders (Probiotic definition).
Walker (Intestinal host defense).
Shanahan et al (Pharmabiotics).
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8.5.2009
The American Academy of Physicians Assistants launched a webcast from a symposium
"The Health Benefits of Probiotics" that was presented at their annual meeting
in May 2009.
Webcast.
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7.13.2009
Canadian Microbiome Initiative. The CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity
is pleased to announce the launch of the Emerging Team Grant: Canadian Microbiome
Initiative (CMI). This initiative will provide an opportunity for multidisciplinary
teams of Canadian researchers to analyze and characterize the microbes that colonize
the human body.
www.researchnet-recherchenet.ca/rnr16/vwOpprtntyDtls.do?prog=793&tag=1
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5.26.2009
ISAPP Board of Directors member, Dr. Todd Klaenhammer, received the University
of North Carolina Board of Governors’ highest faculty honor on May 8. The Board
of Governors of the multi-campus University of North Carolina honored Dr. Klaenhammer
with the O. Max Gardner Award, which since 1949 honors faculty who have "made the
greatest contributions to the welfare of the human race."
Press release. 10-min
video/podcast.
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5.25.2009
ISAPP’s president, Dr. Gregor Reid, named as inaugural chair in Human Microbiology
and Probiotics at Lawson Health Research Institute, made possible by a $7
million investment by Danone Research.
Press release.
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5.20.2009
Health Canada prepares monograph on probiotics as a guide to industry for
natural health product market authorization of probiotic products.
Download monograph.
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4.30.2009
Norwegian Food Safety Authority recommends against use of probiotics in critically
ill patients. Download opinion.
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4.28.2009
ISAPP President, Gregor Reid, on "Research
on Probiotics: A Well of Untapped Resources in Russia," published in International
Science and Technology Center newsletter.
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4.27.2009
Health Canada Food Directorate issues "Guidance
Document - The Use of Probiotic Microorganisms in Food" along with along
with a "Notice
to Stakeholders." Referring to foods containing probiotics,
these documents indicate that Health Canada will allow certain generic claims that
do not require strain- or product-specific substantiation.
- ISAPP holds 6th Annual meeting November 9-11, 2008. 100 delegates from 17
countries met in London Ontario, Canada to hear lectures and to discuss probiotic
safety, refinement of the prebiotic concept in light of new scientific developments,
probiotic/prebiotic/synbiotic efficacy, improving successful interactions between
scientists and the media and regulatory hurdles to conducting probiotic research
in the USA. Handouts.
- A brochure "Probiotics: What they are and what they can do for you" from
the American Gastroenterological Association is now available.
Brochure.
- The World Gastroenterology Organization publishes "Practice Guideline: Probiotics
and Prebiotics."
Click here.
- A booklet titled "Pediatrician’s and Gastroenterologist’s Guide to Using Probiotics"
written by Jon Vanderhoof, M.D. and Eamonn Quigley, M.D. was published by Health
Point Press. For information, email: Booktalk@sbcglobal.net
- Physiological and Functional Properties of Probiotics published as a bulletin
of the International Dairy Federation, authored by Mercenier, Wijnkoop-Lenoir and
Sanders (2008).
Reprint.
- “Probiotics: Their Impact on Human Health” issue paper coauthored by Sanders, Gibson,
Gill and Guarner and published by the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology
is now available free of charge.
Click here.
- The Executive Summary of the National Institutes of Health conference on Gastrointestinal
Microbiota and Advances in Prebiotic and Probiotic Research held December 11-12,
2007 can be viewed at http://www.dnrc.nih.gov/highlights/gmappr.shtml.
- ILSI convenes
prebiotic and
probiotic task forces. The mission of the Probiotics Task Force is to assess
the physiological efficacy of probiotics to guide the scientific substantiation
of health claims on probiotics. The mission of the Prebiotics Task Force is to provide
the basis for assessment of the physiological efficacy of prebiotics.
- On March 28, 2008 the International Probiotics Association announced its intent
to offer a quality seal for probiotic products that meet its standards for content
and substantiation of health benefits; the seal will be available on products in
6-8 months.
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?
n=84289-international-probiotics-association-probiotics
- EU regulatory update for health claims on foods and supplements.
Press release. Full opinion of European scientific
panel. Summary of opinion.
Click here to go to the EFSA website.
- Publication of paper reporting increased mortality in study of six-strain blend
of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium on infectious complications in patients with
severe pancreatitis. ISAPP
reacts. Earlier ISAPP response to the pre-publication press release can
be found here.
- Dannon and Yakult announce a new Young Investigator Grant Program. Two awards of
$50,000 will be granted to young investigators for original research in the area
of gut microbiota and health. See www.probioticsresearch.com.
- Proceedings published: Twenty-two papers delivered at the 2006 conference held in
Maryland titled “Developing Probiotics as Food and Drugs: Scientific and Regulatory
Challenges” sponsored by Drug Information Association (www.diahome.org),
ISAPP and others have been published as a supplement to Clinical Infectious Diseases
(February 1, Volume 46, Supplement 2, 2008).
- Free webinar on "Probiotics and their Role in Gut Health" sponsored by "Natural
Products Insider." Robert Hutkins, Ph.D., Department of Food Science and Technology,
University of Nebraska will present. To register,
click here
- ISAPP President Dr. Gregor Reid is awarded an honorary doctorate in biology from
Örebro University in Sweden, February 2008.
Press release
- FAO publishes technical report on prebiotics addressing definitions, substantiation
and characterization issues (January 29, 2008).
Report
- Human Microbiome Project was added to the US National Institutes of Health Roadmap
for Medical Research, with the aim of generating resources enabling comprehensive
characterization of the human microbiota and analysis of its role in human health
and disease. http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/hmp/
- Market report which analyzes the worldwide probiotic markets prepared by Global
Industry Analysts Inc for sale (March 2008).
Report
- ISAPP report on the status of the field as it pertains to safety evaluation and
interpretation of antibiotic resistance phenotypes and genotypes present in probiotics.
Report from meeting held
December 13, 2007.
- Qualified Presumption of Safety: The European Food Safety Authority just
issued report describing an opinion on the QPS approach to safety of microorganisms
used in foods. "Introduction of a Qualified Presumption of Safety (QPS) approach
for assessment of selected microorganisms referred to EFSA - Opinion of the Scientific
Committee." See:
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/EFSA/efsa_locale-
1178620753812_1178667590178.htm
- Probiotics Market Report: "Strategic Analysis of the North American Probiotics
Markets: Human Nutrition" (Executive
Summary).
- Announcing the publication of an issue paper sponsored by CAST (Council for
Agricultural Science and Technology, www.cast-science.org)
which comprehensively covers the field of probiotics. Authored by four members of
the ISAPP board of directors (Drs. Sanders, Gibson, Gill and Guarner), this paper
was written with a lay audience as at target.
Announcement.
Click
here to download this article for free.
- A conference was sponsored by the NIH on probiotics and prebiotics
on December 11-12, 2007. Conference title: Gastrointestinal Microbiota and Advances
in Prebiotics and Probiotics Research, Sponsored by the Division of Nutrition Research
Coordination of the National Institutes of Health on behalf of the Prebiotic and
Probiotic Working Group, Rockville, Maryland. Session summaries should be available
soon. Questions, contact Maria Smith msmith@scgcorp.com
301-670-4990, The Scientific Consulting Group Inc.
- ISAPP President Dr. Gregor Reid was a guest speaker at the Ukrainian Academy of
Sciences on October 3rd, 2007. There was much interest in the activities of ISAPP
and a request that the Ukrainians form a link with the organization.
Click here for a photo of Dr. Reid with Academy of Sciences Member and highly
regarded probiotic researchers, Professor Kovalenko.
- ISAPP President Gregor Reid’s Global Impact
- ISAPP’s President, Gregor Reid, receives award for his role in efforts to bring
probiotic yogurt to Africa.
Download the press release
- Report of the 2nd International Workshop in Amsterdam, April 26-28, 2007.
"Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease"
- A Probiotic Council within the National Yogurt Association (www.aboutyogurt.com) has been established.
This council is intended to be the voice of industry as it relates to standards
and regulatory issues for probiotics, at least as they related to dairy foods. This
is an important development because it leverages the significant resources and expertise
in regulatory affairs of the NYA trade association to promote appropriate standards
for probiotics in the US.
Press release.
- FDA final ruling on current Good Manufacturing Practices for dietary supplements.
Under the final rule, manufacturers are required to evaluate the identity, purity,
strength, and composition of their dietary supplements. If dietary supplements contain
contaminants or do not contain the dietary ingredient they are represented to contain,
FDA would consider those products to be adulterated or misbranded. This ruling addresses
a pressing need in the probiotic industry with regard to products being mislabeled
as to what microbes are present and their presence at labeled levels. See this ruling
at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/07-3039.htm
and a summary at:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/DietarySupplements/
GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/RegulationsLaws/
ucm079496.htm#GMPS.
- A non-commercial, educational DVD produced by ISAPP President Dr. Gregor Reid
and Danone (Paris, France) which illustrates how probiotics function in vivo
is available now in 12 languages. See press
release
- New format for successful probiotic-focused newsletter by the Syndifrais
After six years of publication the scientific newsletter "Yoghurts and Fermented
Milks", Syndifrais (French national union of fresh milk products manufacturers)
has announced an updated format and a new title for the newsletter, "Probiotics
Reference". (See launch edition.)
The newsletter is a science survey newsletter on the health benefits of fresh milk
products. It is published quarterly, in French and English, and is intended for
all scientists working in the probiotics field. Every quarter, the most recent scientific
articles in the field of probiotic bacteria are taken from the international databases.
The science committee makes a selection of the most pertinent, informative and reliable
studies from an average of some hundred publications collected for each issue of
the newsletter. Through Probiotics Reference, the Syndifrais science committee will
pursue its goal of providing a range of scientific, clinical and regulatory information
useful to fresh milk products manufacturers and to anyone who wishes to understand
trends in the rapidly evolving world of probiotics. All these newsletter can be
downloaded from www.usprobiotics.org under
"Links".
- Two consumer friendly books on probiotics published. The Power of Probiotics,
by Gary Elmer, Lynne McFarland and Marc McFarland, published by Haworth Press (www.haworthpress.com). This is a consumer’s
guide to probiotics, but also discusses much of the data showing efficacy in human
studies, so it is a good resource probiotics researchers as well. Also out in 2007
is The Probiotics Revolution by Gary Huffnagle (Bantam Dell Publishing Group).
- IDF Elie Metchnikoff Prize: An initiative by the International Dairy Federation
and its partners to celebrate scientific discovery. The IDF Elie Metchnikoff Prize
2007 recognizes outstanding scientific discoveries in the fields of microbiology,
biotechnology, nutrition and health with regard to fermented milks. Applications
due January 31, 2007.
See www.emetchnikoff.fil-idf-pr.com
for details.
- Front Page Probiotics: Probiotics on front page of New York Times, Monday,
January 22, 2007, "In Live Bacteria, Food Makers See New Bonanza" by Andrew Martin.
www.nytimes.com
- The European Food Safety Authority invites public comment on the Qualified
Presumption of Safety (QPS) approach for the safety assessment of microorganisms
deliberately added to food and feed:
Click here for more info
- The American Academy of Microbiology released a report "Probiotic Microbes: The
Scientific Basis" June 7, 2006. The report is the outcome of a colloquium convened
by the American Academy of Microbiology in November 2005 to discuss the current
state of knowledge regarding probiotics.
Download report
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), an NIH funding
agency, forms Product Quality Working Group to assess quality of natural substances,
including probiotics and prebiotics, that are subjects of research.
NCCAM streamlines quality aspect of funding review
AHPA's Dentali Helps Raise the Bar on NCCAM Research
- Consumer Reports on probiotics:
ISAPP responds
- 2001 FAO Report: Probiotics in food health and nutritional properties and guidelines
for evaluation
Download report
- New journal: International Journal of Probiotics and Prebiotics
www.newcenturyhealthpublishers.com/probiotics_and_prebiotics/
index.php
- Probiotics and Prebiotics: Scientific Aspects, 2005. Edited by Gerald W. Tannock
University of Otago, Dunedin , New Zealand (Caister Academic Press). Chapters include:
Molecular Methods in Microbial Ecology (Erwin G. Zoetendal and Roderick I. Mackie),
Taxonomy of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria (Franco Dellaglio and Giovanna E. Felis),
The Microecology of Lactobacilli in the Gastrointestinal Tract (Jens Walter), Exopolysaccharide
Production by Intestinal Lactobacilli (Michael G. Gänzle and Clarissa Schwab), Beyond
Genome Sequences: Approaches to Genome-wide Analysis of Gut Bacteria (Makda Fisseha
and Fabrizio Arigoni), Molecular Interactions of Commensal Enteric Bacteria with
the Intestinal Epithelium and the Mucosal Immune System: Implications for Chronic
Intestinal Inflammation (Dirk Haller), Genetically Modified Probiotics (Lothar Steidler
and Sabine Neirynck), Bacterial Therapeutics for the Treatment and Prevention of
Urogenital Infections (Thomas P. Parks, Qiang Xu, Laurel A. Lagenaur and Peter P.
Lee), Prebiotics and the Infant Microbiota (L.C. Roger and A.L. McCartney), The
Tangled Bank and Gut Microbial Ecology (Gerald W. Tannock).
www.horizonpress.com/hsp/books/pro3.html
- Effects of probiotics and prebiotics on flora and immunity in adults. Report by
AFSSA (Agence Francaise de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments or in English, French
Food Safety Agency), February 2005, in both English (p. 59) and French.
Download report
- Infant foods and modification on the intestinal flora, Report by AFSSA (Agence Francaise
de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments or in English, French Food Safety Agency), June
2003, in both English (p. 39) and French.
Download report
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Our Mission
To advance scientific excellence in probiotics and prebiotics.
Photos courtesy of Prof. Lorenzo Morelli, Instituto di Microbiologia, Piacenza, Italy
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