January 6, 2016. The Journal of Family Practice published a paper recommending probiotics or prebiotics. The paper grades available evidence for IBS, IBD, antibiotic associated diarrhea, acute infectious diarrhea, traveler’s diarrhea, eczema and diabetes and recommends specific uses for patients. Authors state: “There’s evidence to suggest that probiotics, prebiotics, and a high-fiber diet can help manage various illnesses.” Paper available here.
2016 Clinical Guide to Probiotic Supplements Now Available
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersClinical Guide to Probiotic Supplements available in Canada: 2016 edition is now available. This guide is authored by Dragana Skokovic-Sunjic BScPhm RPh NCMP and summarizes strength of evidence determined by a Committee of Medical Reviewers. The industry-supported Alliance for Education on Probiotics sponsors this activity. This guide is a handy resource that provides evidence levels for probiotics (41 products are included) for different clinical indications. It is available here and as a free PROBIOTIC GUIDE mobile app (on GooglePlay and the App Store). This year, ISAPP board member Eamonn Quigley MD FRCP FACP MACG FRCPI joined the Committee of Medical Reviewers. Contact Maëva Cruchet maeva.cruchet@nulledelman.com for further information.
Gut Microbiota for Health Launches New Website
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersThe Gut Microbiota for Health website has a new look. The new site offers information for clinicians, researchers and lay persons on the impact of gut microbiota on health. The goal of the site is to become the most trusted reference worldwide for scientific information on the gut microbiota.
Prevalence of Probiotic Use Among Patients in The USA
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersYi et al. (2016) published a survey of probiotic use among 145 hospitals in the United States. They note that 96% of hospitals surveyed used probiotics but that many specific probiotics used in hospitals lack convincing evidence of efficacy.
Recommendations for Probiotic and Prebiotic Use from the Journal of Family Practice
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersJanuary 6, 2016. The Journal of Family Practice published a paper recommending probiotics or prebiotics. The paper grades available evidence for IBS, IBD, antibiotic associated diarrhea, acute infectious diarrhea, traveler’s diarrhea, eczema and diabetes and recommends specific uses for patients. Authors state: “There’s evidence to suggest that probiotics, prebiotics, and a high-fiber diet can help manage various illnesses.” Paper available here.
Flow Cytometry for Probiotic Enumeration
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersJanuary 4, 2016. The International Dairy Federation in conjunction with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has released a method for quantifying starter cultures and probiotics used in dairy products. This method – which would replace the decades-old plate count method – can be adapted to high-throughput analysis, reducing testing time and improving precision. The report, published in Bulletin IDF No. 478/2015, can be purchased from IDF. Press release.
CFSAN Nutrition Program Review Report
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersThe FDA Law Blog reported on a documented prepared in December 2014 by the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. The report was obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The Nutrition Program Review Report focused on prioritizing CFSAN activities in order to enhance nutrition for Americans. Of interest to ISAPP in this report is that probiotics and prebiotics are used several times as examples of bioactive food components that may be beneficial to health. The report advised that FDA monitor the science and developments in the marketplace related to probiotics and other bioactive food components. It states that such increased awareness of the science behind these substances would help in understanding the truthfulness of claims made on products.
ISAPP Consensus Panel Paper on Probiotics: “Hot Paper” on Web of Science
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersStakeholders in the probiotic field continue to find value in the expert consensus document, The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic, published in 2014 in Nature Reviews in Gastroenterology and Hepatology. This paper has earned accolades of “Highly Cited Paper” and “Hot Paper“ on Thomson Reuters’ Web of Science. Metrics tracked by Nature Reviews shows that this paper has been downloaded almost 20,000 times.
Prof. Hania Szajewska Receives Award for Work on Nutrition and Health in Children
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersProfessor Hania Szajewska of the Medical University of Warsaw received the A.I. Virtanen Prize of 10,000 Euros for her research on nutrition and health in children. Professor Szajewska delivered a lecture titled “The benefits of probiotics in childhood” after receiving the award. The award is named for Artturi Ilmari Virtanen, the only Finnish winner of a science Nobel Prize.
USP Holds Workshop on Probiotics
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersNovember 24, 2015. Last week, U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) convened a workshop to discuss the value of probiotic monographs, including technical challenges that exist in developing them. USP can provide third-party verification of probiotic product content, which would improve end-user confidence in probiotic products. USP was established in 1820 and functions today as a scientific nonprofit organization that sets standards for medicines, food ingredients, and dietary supplements worldwide. Information,
ISAPP Brings Its Message to China
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersNovember 9, 2015. ISAPP Board Members Prof. Gregor Reid and Prof. Glenn Gibson traveled to China delivering the message of the importance of the science of probiotics and prebiotics. Report.
FDA Reconsiders IND Requirement for Food Research
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersOctober 30, 2015. FDA issued a stay on some provisions of their guidance pertaining to the need for an IND for human research on foods. ISAPP, along with other stakeholders involved in food research, filed comments objecting to guidance position that most human research needed to be conducted under an IND. The section of the guidance dealing with “Live Organisms” remains in effect and the impact of this on probiotic research remains to be seen. See legal perspectives on this action.
ISAPP Sponsors Scientific Session in Bangkok
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersJuly 31, 2015. Three ISAPP board members (Drs. Salminen, Quigley and Sanders) and a gastroenterologist from University of Singapore (Dr. Reuben Wong) traveled to Bangkok to speak in an ISAPP-organized symposium at the Asian Federation of Societies of Lactic Acid Bacteria. The symposium focused on “The Future of Probiotics and Prebiotics.” The local hosts provided gracious hospitality and the audience of 341 from 23 countries was engaged in the latest science about clinical recommendations, gut barrier effect, use of probiotics in pediatrics and the ISAPP consensus panel. Meeting information. Photos from the meeting’s opening and closing ceremonies.
Towards a Clear Status for Probiotics in Europe
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersJuly 22, 2015. IPA Europe announces a launch event, “Towards a Clear Status for Probiotics in Europe”. September 30, 3016. Brussels. Register for event.
ISAPP Provides Input on Microbiome Research to the White House.
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersJune 14, 2015. ISAPP responded to a request by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy for input on microbiome research priorities. ISAPP response.
ISAPP Comments on CBER Proposal on INDs
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersMay 28, 2015. ISAPP filed comments on an FDA-CBER proposal regarding CMC information required for INDs on probiotic research (Federal Register Notice). ISAPP welcomes this proposal by CBER that the label on a commercially available product would be adequate to satisfy CMC information. ISAPP comments.
ISAPP Responds to NIH-NCCIH Request for Research Direction.
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersMay 12, 2015. ISAPP responds to the request by NIH-National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health for input into the Center’s future research efforts and priority setting. ISAPP response.
ISAPP Sponsored Prof. Bruno Pot to Speak at PAi | ISAPP
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersISAPP sponsored Prof. Bruno Pot, Institut Pasteur Lille, to speak at the 2nd Annual Conference of the Probiotic Association of India. The conference titled “Probiotics and Microbiome: Gut and Beyond” was held November 3-4, 2014 in Delhi, India. For further details see the report.
The 8th annual Young Investigatory Grant for Probiotic Research has been announced
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersThe 8th annual Young Investigatory Grant for Probiotic Research has been announced by Global Probiotics Council of Danone Nutricia Research and Yaklult Honsha Co., Ltd. Three annual grants of $50,000 USD supports innovative research on probiotics and gastrointestinal microbiota in the United States. Information.
October 7, 2014
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersPublished today in Am J Reprod Immunol, and open access: Microbes Central to Human Reproduction. . The authors, let by Dr. Gregor Reid, summarize an ISAPP discussion group from 2014 meeting.
September 28, 2014
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersHealth Point Productions has just released, “MicroWarriors” Special Edition. This Documentary Film on probiotics is a re-release with new footage from interviews featuring ISAPP board members, Prof. Gregor Reid and Mary Ellen Sanders. Some of the other experts include: Glenn Gibson PhD, Todd Klaenhammer PhD, Jose Saavedra MD, Robert Martindale MD, Simin Meydani PhD and Tri Duong PhD. Health Point Productions has offered to send a free copy of this Special Edition to the first 500 ISAPP Members who respond. Contact David Knight of Health Point Productions at microwarriorsmovie@nullsbcglobal.net.
September 26, 2014
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersISAPP Board member, Michael Cabana, MD, MPH, joined 2 other experts (David Mills, Ph.D. and Mark Underwood, MD) in a continuing education program on Prebiotics, Probiotics, and the Microbiota. Official Audio CME Program of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
September 8, 2014
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersISAPP filed comments regarding with the European Food Safety Authority regarding its intent to revise the guidance on scientific requirements for health claims on foods related to gut and immune function. ISAPP’s opinion is that EFSA should completely revise the guidance document, rather than limit comments to issues that have arisen in submitted dossiers. ISAPP also suggested that maintenance of homeostasis in all aspects of healthy human physiology should be considered as a beneficial health effect. EFSA document. ISAPP comments.
September 8, 2014
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersThe Dannon Company Graduate Scholarship. The third Yogurt and Probiotics Fellowship Program offers a scholarship of $25,000 to a current or incoming graduate student who shows a strong interest in the research of nutritional and functional benefits of yogurt and probiotics. Candidates must be currently enrolled in or applying to a full-time graduate program. Applications due November 15, 2014. Information.
August 1, 2014
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersISAPP files comments with the FDA regarding impact of Proposed Rule on labeling prebiotics on foods. ISAPP requests that the FDA modify the Proposed Rule as follows: (1) benefits of added fibers be explicitly expanded to include a broader range of potential physiological beneficial effects, (2) implement a phase-in period to allow adequate time to develop required substantiation, and (3) use a notification process rather than a pre-market approval process for substantiation. ISAPP Comment. FDA website link.
June 10, 2014
/in News /by Mary Ellen SandersISAPP’s consensus statement on the scope and appropriate use of the term probiotic was published today in Nature Reviews in Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The paper is open access. Key conclusions of the paper include that with minor edits, the 13-year old FAO/WHO definition of probiotic was endorsed; that sufficient evidence from human studies on commonly studied probiotic species allows use of the term ‘probiotic’ at a species-, not strain-, level; and undefined consortia of microbes such as those used for fecal microbial transplants do not fall under the scope of probiotics. The panel of experts comprised 12 internationally recognized scientists and the paper was endorsed by the ISAPP board of directors.