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.
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.
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.
ISAPP submits comments to the FDA on the draft guidance on new dietary ingredient notifications.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.
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.
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.
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. Paper.
Jeffrey Gordon interview with National Public Radio about findings from a study on the impact of probiotic yogurt consumption on gut microbiota, microbiome expression and urinary metabolites [McNulty et al. ScienceTranslational Medicine, Vol 3(106)].
ISAPP is focus of article in Dairy Foods, “Looking Out for Probiotics.”
Public Comment is solicited for NIH Common Fund Initiatives by September 14th, 2011. One of the proposed projects, Microbiome, Part 2, includes probiotics. Potential impact of Common Fund investment: Systems biology-derived “designer” probiotics may offer an inexpensive, holistic approach to disease prevention and treatment, although much research is necessary to realize this potential. It should be noted that probiotics have been used for decades, but systematic analyses of their efficacy and safety have not been conducted.
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.
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.
ISAPP Board of Directors publishes letter to editor of British Journal of Nutrition, “Probiotic and prebiotic claims in Europe: seeking a clear roadmap.”
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.
Former ISAPP secretary, James Versolovic, authored an editorial for the latest edition of Probiotics Watch, a quarterly report sponsored by Danone Research that reviews recent scientific publications on probiotics.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Open letter to ISAPP membership from President, Glenn Gibson. ISAPP’s 10th anniversary approaches and Glenn discusses vision for ISAPP’s next 10 years.
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.
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@nullod.nih.gov.
The International Probiotics Association is hosting a free access webinar series “Pre & Probiotics 2011” 8:00 am New York time, March 29, 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.
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