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I come to praise ISAPP, not to bury it: Reflections on 15 years as a board member

/in ISAPP Science Blog /by KC

By Prof. Colin Hill PhD, University College Cork

I have been a Board member of ISAPP since 2009, serving as President from 2012 to 2015. This year, following our successful annual meeting in my home city of Cork, I have decided to step down and make way for new blood.

It is normal when a period like this comes to an end to reflect on all the advances in the field in that time and to highlight some of the great strides that have been made. But I don’t want to do that – the health of the field is obvious from the scientific literature and the extraordinary level of the research presented at the annual meeting. Maybe one could even argue that the field is now at a point of maturity where ISAPP has fulfilled its purpose in helping to establish the credibility of biotic research. So, what is the role of ISAPP in 2024 and beyond?  This of course is something for the board and ISAPP member companies to decide, but I will give some of my thoughts on what makes ISAPP special and why I think it is more important than ever to have such a strong scientific champion representing the field.

The ISAPP agora

The literal meaning of the word agora is “gathering place” or “assembly”, and I think that providing this function has been and continues to be one of the main benefits of ISAPP. The ISAPP agora is physically manifested in the annual meetings and other gatherings, but also goes on throughout the year at the monthly board meetings, which involve all of the academic board members plus the designated industry representatives. The ISAPP agora can be used to reach consensus, to debate topics, to identify new trends, to challenge accepted dogma and to defend rigorous science against unfounded claims. The biotic field can sometimes be a victim of individual researchers or companies making claims that are not supported by rigorous research. ISAPP is entirely focused on scientific excellence and its member companies accept that there are no shortcuts for biotics research in terms of rigour. We realise that the days of saying that it would be too difficult to ‘prove’ a health benefit are over. We still have many more associations than direct evidence of mechanism, but I for one think that is reason for excitement rather than a point of criticism.

Uniting industry and academia

While it is of course important that the board is composed of independent academic scientists, I have always thought that ISAPP benefits by placing scientists from industry and academia on an equal footing, and that everyone recognises the basic truth that it is rare that any discovery in an academic research lab will make a difference to a patient or a consumer without industry being involved. The degree of openness of the scientists from industry partners, the genuine enthusiasm for the field and the sense of common purpose is always obvious. Perhaps people in other industry-academic partnerships experience the same phenomenon, but whether or not they do, the field of biotic research has benefited enormously from this sense of togetherness that I think owes a lot to the existence of ISAPP.

A common language

Scientists, industry, regulators and others can only communicate effectively if we share a common language, and ISAPP has been a leader in providing and updating the definitions of the foundational terms of our scientific discourse; probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This function should not be underestimated and although definitions always require ongoing debate and revision, ISAPP hopefully will continue to codify existing and new ‘biotics’ into the future.

A vibrant and talented board

I want to finish by commending the existing and previous board members for their dedication to promoting scientific excellence, the extraordinary amounts of time they volunteer to this cause, and their enormous patience in putting up with me for 15 years. The new leadership team (Executive Director Marla Cunningham, President Maria Marco and vice-President Sarah Lebeer) is outstanding, with the board members representing a who’s who of biotic science and so I leave with the association in the best of hands.

In my time on the board I was lucky to work with many of the giants in our field. If I start naming people I will inevitably omit someone who deserves mention, but I hope no-one will mind if I single out the two individuals who had the most profound influence on me, Todd Klaenhammer and Mary Ellen Sanders. It would take far too long to list the many ways that they have shaped my thinking and so I will simply express my gratitude toward them, and to all my other friends and colleagues among board members past and present. It has been a pleasure, and I look forward with interest to the next 15 years of ISAPP.

Episode 25: The effects of metabolites in the colon

/in Podcast, Season Two /by Laura

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast 

This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields.

The effects of metabolites in the colon, with Prof. Kristin Verbeke PhD

Episode summary:

In this episode, the ISAPP podcast hosts talk about colonic metabolites with Prof. Kristin Verbeke PhD, from KU Leuven, Belgium. She talks about characterizing microbial metabolism in the colon and the consequences of producing various metabolites, both beneficial ones (such as short-chain fatty acids) and potentially detrimental ones.

Key topics from this episode:

  • Prof. Verbeke is a pharmacist by training, and now leads hospital breath testing and carries out research on microbial metabolites in the gastrointestinal tract, including how prebiotics and probiotics can change bacterial metabolism.
  • The majority of protein in the diet is digested in the small intestine, but about 5% of animal protein and 10-15% of plant protein reaches the large intestine to be fermented by the microbiota. This produces metabolites, which are shown in vitro to be toxic. However, in vivo there is less evidence of toxicity; the negative effects of these metabolites may be reduced by the interactions of different compounds in the colon.
  • Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are produced when the body digests dietary fiber, and Prof. Verbeke’s group and others are investigating whether they are responsible for the benefits of eating fiber.
  • Most SCFAs are quickly absorbed in the large intestine, and they serve as an energy source for the cells. They then travel to the liver via portal circulation, where they have additional functions. What’s left over reaches systemic circulation.
  • The difficulty is knowing how many SCFAs are produced in the colon, and how many reach systemic circulation. In one experiment, they labeled the SCFAs that were administered to the colon via capsule; 36% ended up in systemic circulation. Further, when SCFAs were administered at physiological doses the subjects receiving them (compared to placebo) showed a lower cortisol response to stress.
  • SCFAs also affect fat oxidation and fat synthesis in the liver. Their relevance to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are being investigated.
  • It’s important to eat fiber, and lots of different types. After fiber consumption, SCFAs increase in a sustained manner and take about 8h to get back to baseline. But with SCFA delivery via capsule they spike quickly and then disappear.
  • As for coatings to deliver to the colon, some coatings are time-dependent, pH dependent, etc. and this is an area for further exploration.

Episode links:

About Prof. Kristin Verbeke PhD:

Kristin Verbeke graduated from the KU Leuven, Belgium as a pharmacist in 1991. She obtained a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Laboratory of Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry in 1995 and subsequently spend a postdoctoral period in developing radioactively labelled compounds. In 2002, she was appointed at the department of gastroenterology of the Medical Faculty of the Leuven University where she got involved in the use of stable isotope labelled compounds to evaluate gastrointestinal functions. Within the University Hospitals Leuven, she is responsible for the clinical application of diagnostic 13C- and H2-breath tests. Her current research interest specifically addresses the microbial bacterial metabolism in the human colon. Her team has developed several analytical techniques based on mass spectrometry and stable isotope or radioisotope technologies to evaluate several aspects of intestinal metabolism and function in humans (transit time, intestinal permeability, carbohydrate fermentation, protein fermentation, metabolome analysis). Collaborative research has allowed showing an aberrant bacterial metabolism in patient groups with end stage renal failure, inflammatory bowel diseases, irritable bowel disorders and alcohol abuse. These collaborations all have resulted in high quality peer-reviewed papers. In addition, she showed the impact of dietary interventions (modulation of macronutrient composition, pre- or probiotic interventions) on the microbial metabolism and its impact on health. As a PI, she acquired grant support from the university and different funding bodies and successfully completed these projects. Similarly, she supervised several PhD projects that all resulted in the achievement of a PhD degree. Her research resulted in over 200 full research papers. Together with colleague Prof. J. Delcour, she was the beneficiary of the W.K. Kellogg Chair in Cereal Sciences and Nutrition (2010-2020). She is the president of the Belgian Nutrition Society, the vice-chair of the Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Center, and the co-chair of the Prebiotic task force at ILSI Europe. Furthermore, Kristin Verbeke is the editor of the journal Gut Microbiome and member of the editorial board of Gastrointestinal Disorders. Kristin joined the ISAPP Board of Directors in 2023.

Episode 24: Reflections on the probiotic field and ISAPP’s role

/in Podcast, Season Two /by Laura

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

The Science, Microbes & Health Podcast 

This podcast covers emerging topics and challenges in the science of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. This is the podcast of The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), a nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to advancing the science of these fields.

Reflections on the probiotic field and ISAPP’s role, with Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders PhD

Episode summary:

In this episode, the ISAPP podcast hosts talk about how the probiotic field has evolved over the past 20 years with Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders PhD, ISAPP’s outgoing executive director. She describes how ISAPP is a unique organization advancing the science in the field, highlights what she has enjoyed about being a part of the ISAPP community, and looks ahead to the future of the field.

Key topics from this episode:

  • Sanders describes her career path and how it led to her role with ISAPP. 
  • Both ISAPP and Sanders’ role have changed over time, but she always appreciated two things: great scientific discussions, and interacting with an excellent board of directors.
  • ISAPP has always been dedicated to following the science, highlighting where the evidence is but also the shortcomings of the evidence.
  • The development of microbiome science changed the field of probiotics but it remains important to focus on what probiotics can do for health, rather than what they can do for the microbiome.
  • Mechanisms are important to elucidate, but the most important thing is whether a product impacts health.
  • Sanders says regulations are needed and in the future she hopes regulators will reach out to the expert scientists more frequently and be clear about the standards they expect for a claim.
  • ISAPP meetings are unique–both scientifically enlightening and a lot of fun. Longtime ISAPP board member Gregor Reid had the initial idea for the successful ‘discussion groups’ held every year. 
  • In the future, Sanders thinks probiotics will be used more precisely, like medicines. But also the concept of live dietary microbes may become more popular, with quantities of safe microorganisms being consumed for health benefits.

Episode links:

About Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders PhD:

Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD has served in several roles within ISAPP. She was the founding president, executive science officer and executive director and has retired from ISAPP as of June 30, 2023. She is also a consultant in the area of probiotic microbiology. She works internationally with food and supplement companies to develop new probiotic products and offers perspective on paths to scientific substantiation of probiotic product label claims. She is the current chair of the United States Pharmacopeia’s Probiotics Expert Panel, was a member of the working group convened by the FAO/WHO that developed guidelines for probiotics and serves on the World Gastroenterology Organisation Guidelines Committee preparing practice guidelines for the use of probiotics and prebiotics for gastroenterologists.

ISAPP appoints new Executive Director to step into leadership role in April 2023

/in News /by KC

The board of directors of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) is pleased to announce the appointment of ISAPP’s next Executive Director (ED), Marla Cunningham of Brisbane, Australia. Cunningham will assume leadership of the organization April 1, 2023. ISAPP’s current ED, Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders, will stay on as Executive Science Officer until June 30, providing some overlap with Cunningham as she familiarizes herself with this new role.

Cunningham brings 20 years of experience as a scientist and business leader in the probiotic, prebiotic and natural products industry, working across innovation, clinical research, product development and education. She trained as a healthcare practitioner in complementary medicine and has written and presented extensively for clinical audiences on implementation of science in the biotics field. Cunningham has been an industry member of ISAPP for six years in her capacity as Global Research and Innovation Manager at Metagenics, and served as ISAPP’s Senior Industry Advisory Committee Representative to the board of directors for four years. She will work with ISAPP’s existing staff and board of directors to continue fulfilling the mission of the organization.

ISAPP President Dr. Dan Merenstein, who chaired the Executive Director search committee, says, “Among the excellent candidates for the Executive Director role, we determined that Marla was the best fit due to her background and previous work inside ISAPP. She is a dynamic speaker, and is always looking for ways to move ISAPP and the biotic field forward.”

Dr. Sanders says, “Marla has been an engaged member of the ISAPP community for several years and I’m confident she understands and values the unique role of ISAPP in the biotics field. With her strengths in written and oral communications, probiotic and prebiotic science, and liaison with industry, she will keep the organization dynamic and productive as it moves into this new phase.”

Sanders will remain close to the organization and intends to support Cunningham after June as needed.

“ISAPP has been a driving force in this field, fostering scientific collaboration and consensus and building a high calibre network of academic and industry scientists across the globe,” says Cunningham. “I’m excited and grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to this community in this new capacity. I’m looking forward to engaging with the ISAPP board of directors and the broader ISAPP community on the challenges and opportunities we face in the field, and developing strategic priorities to move the science forward together.”

 

Picture of panelists on stage with conference participants in the audience

Definition of postbiotics: A panel debate in Amsterdam

/in ISAPP Science Blog /by KC

By Dr. Gabriel Vinderola, PhD,  Associate Professor of Microbiology at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering from the National University of Litoral and Principal Researcher from CONICET at the Dairy Products Institute (CONICET-UNL), Santa Fe, Argentina.

A panel debate titled “Postbiotics, definition and scopes” was convened at the 9th Beneficial Microbes conference in Amsterdam on November 14, 2022. The aim of this panel was to advance the discussion about postbiotics in the aftermath of some published disagreement (see here and here) about the definition of postbiotics produced and published by ISAPP: “a preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host”. The debaters included Prof. Seppo Salminen and myself (Dr. Gabriel Vinderola), both members of the board of directors of ISAPP and co-authors of the ISAPP postbiotics definition, supporting the ISAPP definition, and Prof. Lorenzo Morelli (in attendance virtually) and Dr. Guus Roeselers challenging the ISAPP definition. The debate was attended by around 150 persons, and consisted of 15-minute opening arguments on both sides, followed by a 30 min open discussion guided by the conference chair, Dr. Koen Venema.

I introduced ISAPP as a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the science on probiotics, prebiotics and related substances. Among many other activities, ISAPP has produced 5 different consensus definitions: probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. Each consensus panel was composed of academic scientists with different backgrounds, expertise and perspectives, comprising at least 11 authors from 4 – 10 countries, who came together to incorporate broad perspectives and engage in thoughtful debate. To date, all 5 consensus papers have had almost half a millon accesses at Nature Reviews Gastroentetology and Hepatology, the journal where all of the definitions are published.

The discussion within ISAPP about the need for a postbiotic definition dates back to our 2019 annual meeting. Emerging research on the health benefits conferred by non-viable microbes, their fragments and metabolites was discussed at the meeting, and this planted the seed for a definition that would cover this area. Many different terms such as heat-killed probiotics, heat-treated probiotics, heat-inactivated probiotics, tyndallized probiotics, paraprobiotics, ghost probiotics, cell fragments, cell lysates and postbiotics had been used to encompass these substances.

The panel discussed these different terms and previously published definitions. Those opposed to the ISAPP definition preferred the Tsilingiri and Rescigno (2013)1 definition of postbiotics, which focuses on metabolites produced by probiotics. I reviewed the limitations of that definition, which were outlined in Salminen et al. (2021)2. One concern is that requiring a postbiotic to be derived from a probiotic creates an unnecessary burden of first meeting the criteria for a probiotic before developing a postbiotic.

Morelli emphasized the importance of definitions for regulatory bodies and stated that researchers should provide guidance on criteria to meet a definition. He quoted the first published definition of postbiotic by Tsilingiri and Rescigno in 20131: “any factor resulting from the metabolic activity of a probiotic or any released molecule capable of conferring beneficial effects to the host in a direct or indirect way”. Morelli stated that one value of this definition was that it was clear to regulators; metabolites are measurable and produced by microbes already accepted as food components with a long history of safe use. He considered this of paramount relevance as otherwise, the novel foods path would be required. He challenged the ISAPP approach as defining a substance that was unclear how to measure. Morelli showed pictures depicting the deterioration of the biomass of freeze-dried cultures during storage, to underscore the challenges of controlling the quality of products based on biomass of non-viable microbes. He added, “If we don´t know which are the components responsible for the health benefits, then it is challenging to determine what to measure.” He questioned the ability to establish the shelf life of such a product. The need to be precise in terms of how to quantify the active components of non-viable cells was essential to his criticism of ISAPP’s definition of postbiotics. Prof. Morelli concluded that researchers must address this issue of quantification methods, both to advance research and to provide regulatory bodies needed approaches to regulating non-viable microbes.

Conclusions from the debate were that the flaws of definitions previous to the ISAPP definition are apparent, and that the substance defined by ISAPP was useful to delineate, but that clear approaches to measurement of the active component(s) of non-viable microbes are needed to make the ISAPP definition workable in scientific and regulatory circles. The debate was very worthwhile, since science advances through respectful debates such as this.

It is clear that characterization of postbiotic products may be challenging, especially with increased complexity that arises by use of multiple inanimate strains, inclusion of  metabolic  endproducts, and the presence of whole and fragmented cells. But these challenges are not unique to postbiotics. Probiotic products can comprise complex mixtures of multiple strains as well as metabolic products (as the biomass during industrial production is harvested for freeze-drying, but not washed), along with significant amounts of non-viable microbes, which all may contribute to the overall health benefit. These facts are usually overlooked when relying just on viable cells for quantification.

Many commercial products carrying inanimate microbes and metabolic fermentation products, that potentially fit the ISAPP definition of postbiotics, are already available in the market. These are diverse products such as a mixture of two lactobacilli aimed at treating infant and adult diarrhea3 or a fermented infant formula to support pediatric growth4. Similar products also target animal nutrition5. A tightly controlled manufacturing process may be the path forward to warrant reproducibility of health benefits. Suitable characterization methodologies such as flow cytometry for non-viable microbes and mass spectrometry for metabolites seem to be relevant to sufficient postbiotic product characterization.

In brief, the ISAPP definition itself seemed well accepted by the meeting participants, but concerns were raised about how to quantify postbiotics according to the definition. We intend to address this point through consultations with experts, proposing scientific paths to help conceptualize factors that need to be considered for postbiotic quantification.

Picture of panelists on stage with conference participants in the audience

Panel debate about ISAPP’s definition of postbiotics held at Beneficial Microbes conference in Amsterdam on November 14th, 2022. On the stage, from left to right: Koen Venema (conference chair), Gabriel Vinderola, Seppo Salminen, Guus Roeselers and Lorenzo Morelli (on screen).

References

  1. Tsilingiri, K. & Rescigno, M. Postbiotics: What else? Benef. Microbes (2013) doi:10.3920/BM2012.0046.
  2. Salminen, S. et al. The International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of postbiotics. Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. (2021) doi:10.1038/s41575-021-00440-6.
  3. Malagón-Rojas, J. N., Mantziari, A., Salminen, S. & Szajewska, H. Postbiotics for Preventing and Treating Common Infectious Diseases in Children: A Systematic Review. Nutrients 12, (2020).
  4. Béghin, L. et al. Fermented infant formula (with Bifidobacterium breve C50 and Streptococcus thermophilus O65) with prebiotic oligosaccharides is safe and modulates the gut microbiota towards a microbiota closer to that of breastfed infants. Clin. Nutr. 40, 778–787 (2021).
  5. Kaufman, J. D. et al. A postbiotic from Aspergillus oryzae attenuates the impact of heat stress in ectothermic and endothermic organisms. Sci. Rep. 11, 6407 (2021).

Additional reading:

Follow up from ISAPP webinar – Probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods: how to implement ISAPP consensus definitions

Postbiotics: The concept and their use in healthy populations

 

Watch / listen to the debate here: https://youtu.be/pATNfhQY4P4

 

 

ISAPP’s Guiding Principles for the Definitions of ‘Biotics’

/in ISAPP Science Blog /by KC

By Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD, ISAPP Executive Science Officer

Articulating a definition for a scientific concept is a significant challenge. Inevitably, scientists have different perspectives on what falls inside and outside the bounds of a term. Prof. Glenn Gibson, ISAPP co-founder and longtime board member, recently published a paper that describes his path to coining the word ‘prebiotic’, with this observation: “One thing I have learned about definitions is that if you propose one, then be ready for it to be changed, dismissed or ignored!”

Mary Ellen Sanders with Glenn Gibson

Members of the ISAPP board, however, have remained steadfast in their belief that such definitions are worth creating. They are the basis for shared understanding and coordinated progress across a scientific field.

Developing the consensus definition papers on probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods was demanding on the part of all involved. The objective of the panels that met to discuss these definitions was clear – to provide common ground for consistent use of this growing body of terms for all stakeholders. Although some disagreement among the broader scientific community exists about some of the definitions, ISAPP’s approach relied on important, underlying principles:

  • Don’t unnecessarily limit future innovation
  • Don’t unnecessarily limit mechanisms of action
  • Don’t unnecessarily limit scope (host, regulatory category, mechanism, site of action, etc.)
  • Require a health benefit on a target host to be demonstrated – otherwise, what is the value of these biotic substances? (Of course, fermented foods were the exception in this criterion, because the value of consuming fermented foods even in the absence of an established health benefit is evident.)
  • Limit to preparations that are administered, not substances produced by in situ activities

In my opinion, many published definitions, including previous ones for postbiotics (see supplementary table here), are untenable because they don’t recognize these principles. There may also be a tendency to rely on historical use of terms, rather than to describe what is justified by current scientific knowledge. A good example of this is provided by the first definition of probiotics, published in 1965. It was “substances secreted by one microorganism that stimulate another microorganism” (Lily and Stillwell, 1965), which is far from the current definition of “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host (Hill et al. 2014).

If you’re looking for a concise summary of the five published ISAPP definitions, see here for our definitions infographic.

Additional reflections: I noted with a smile Glenn’s views on ISAPP, specifically on the appropriate pronunciation of the abbreviation ‘ISAPP’. “My only negative is that everyone involved in the organisation aside from 2 or 3 of us pronounce its acronym wrongly.” Most board members, including myself, have always pronounced this as ‘eye-sap’. Glenn opines, “The abbreviation is not eye-SAPP, it is ISAPP (with the ‘I’ – remarkably enough – being spoken as it is in the word ‘International’).” I wonder how he pronounces IBM?

 

 

 

 

ISAPP begins its search for the next executive director

/in News /by KC

By Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD

When Glenn Gibson, Irene Lenior-Wijnkoop and I first kicked around the idea of an organization for scientists and dedicated to science of probiotics and prebiotics (in 1999), I don’t think any of us would have anticipated that in 2022 that organization would be celebrating its 20th anniversary. But I do think if we could have seen where we’ve come, we would have been pleased.

As I write, my mind is racing over so many highs (dinner at the National Academy of Sciences in DC and lunch at the top of the ski lift in Copper Mountain, Colorado) and lows (broken down and lost buses on the way to our gala event in Berkeley) of our gatherings and the many positive outcomes due to ISAPP bringing excellent industry, academic and government scientists together to discuss how to improve the field.

But my purpose with this blog is to look forward, not back. I want to let the ISAPP community know that ISAPP is searching for a new executive director to take over for me when I retire in June 2023. The position announcement is found here.

Together, we have accomplished a lot in ISAPP’s twenty-year existence: dozens of publications, including five highly-viewed scientific consensus definitions, interactions with U.S. regulators that helped them reduce barriers to human research on probiotics, networking among scientists leading to collaborative research, concise summaries of the ‘biotics’ family of substances and fermented foods in friendly language in our series of infographics and videos, developing continuing education materials, collaborating with scientific organizations on projects of mutual interest, and more. We have built a strong, collegial community, which is leading cutting-edge science on probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, postbiotics and fermented foods. These community members have many more goals and ambitions to realize in the years ahead. I am ready to pass the baton to someone who will build on the momentum of the past and extend ISAPP’s global activities. I look forward to what the future brings for our vibrant organization.

Harmonized Probiotic Guidelines to be discussed at Codex Alimentarius meeting November 24 – 29

/in News, Uncategorized /by KC

By Mary Ellen Sanders PhD, Executive Science Officer, ISAPP

In 2017, the International Probiotics Association (IPA) proposed that Codex Alimentarius consider the topic of global harmonization of probiotics, and Argentina offered to propose an approach. The final proposal developed by Argentina is here.

This set into motion activities among many stakeholders that led to a final proposal, to be discussed at the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods For Special Dietary Uses, Forty-first Session, Dusseldorf, Germany, being held 24 – 29 November 2019. The agenda for this meeting includes “Harmonized Probiotic Guidelines for Use in Foods and Dietary Supplements”, agenda item #11.

ISAPP has long championed the need for the term ‘probiotic’ to be used on product labels only when the scientifically recognized definition is met. In June 2018, ISAPP convened a large group of industry and academic scientists, chaired by Profs. Seppo Salminen (Finland), Yuan Kun Lee (Singapore), and Gabriel Vinderola (Argentina), to discuss global harmonization. Prof. Vinderola later served as a member of the Argentinian committee that developed the proposal now under consideration. From this discussion group, a white paper “ISAPP position statement on minimum criteria for harmonizing global regulatory approaches for probiotics in foods and supplements” was prepared, describing the minimum criteria for use of the term ‘probiotic’. These outputs frame an overall position of ISAPP on this issue: any global regulations should impose only the minimum criteria necessary to ensure truthful product labeling.

Issues such as requiring specific safety tests, stipulating specific in vitro or animal studies, or expecting manufacturers to automatically re-conduct clinical trials when changing delivery matrices, will serve to inhibit innovation and impose expensive requirements that may not be necessary.

Although probiotics can be considered unique in that they are live microorganisms, their use as dietary ingredients is not substantively different from other ingredients. Every ingredient needs specific analytical techniques and has specific requirements for identity, purity, and stability. So if truth in labeling can be assured regarding proper commercial use of the term ‘probiotic’, there may not be a need for carved-out global regulations on probiotics.

The position of the United States on this agenda item is: “The United States is still reviewing the discussion paper and has not formed a position at this time. We note however that in our view this work is lower in priority than proposed work on nutrient profiles.”

Reflections on a career in probiotic science, from ISAPP founding board member Prof. Gregor Reid

/in ISAPP Science Blog, News, Uncategorized /by KC

Past President and founding board member Prof. Gregor Reid is stepping down from the ISAPP Board in Banff in June 2020, as he retires from Western University and his Endowed Chair position at Lawson Health Research Institute the following month. In this blog post, he shares thoughts on his career and the opportunities for his replacement and for others to continue probiotic research. See here for information on the position of Research Chair in Human Microbiome and Probiotics at the Lawson Health Research Institute.

By Gregor Reid BSc (Hons), PhD, MBA, ARM CCM, Dr HS, FCAHS, FRSC

A mere blue dot. A pinhead, if that. But it’s us, all we have been and all we will be – for a while at least. The planet Earth.

Its magnificence is there for all to see.

Creative Commons Earth Illustration, Pixabay

Creative Commons Earth Illustration, by Pixabay

I’ve been fortunate to have visited over 60 of the countries on this majestic globe. One of the perks of being a scientist. And for those who know me well, I’ve taken my camera and my music with me on the journey. In this blog post, I’ll share some pieces of both and how they form part of who we are and what we study.

Across the vast surface of our planet, and within it, there are countless microbes. As life emerges from the surface, we shouldn’t be surprised that microbes climb on board. Whether plants, honey bees, fish, birds, lions, humans, microbes accompany each.

Photo by Andrew Pitek. Used with permission.

Just being human is a guest house1.

Understandably, since some of these microbes can be deadly to humans, our ancestors had to find ways to stop them. Whether plague, diphtheria, smallpox, influenza, wound infections, or other fatal diseases. And so, the marvels of vaccination and antibiotics were born.

Arguably, these miraculous interventions also brought complacency as a societal side-effect, despite the warnings of people like Alexander Fleming. The greatest possibility of evil in self-medication is the use of too small doses so that instead of clearing up infection the microbes are educated to resist penicillin2.

We all but ignored the collateral damage, pacified by label warnings of diarrhea and nausea until Clostridium difficile woke us from our slumber. When the antibiotics stopped working, we went out into left field and started using human poop! Too ridiculous to work, until it worked. Really well.

We’re running through the dark, and that’s how it starts. Don’t know what you’re doing to me. And it might be getting better3.

Prior to that radical step, an awakening had occurred through people like Metchnikoff but more recently Savage, Tannock, McKay, Costerton, Bruce, and others who led us to the microbes that have been helping us all along. In the case of Andrew Bruce, he wondered if replenishment of lactobacilli into the urogenital tract of women might help prevent recurrence of infection. But in the late seventies and early eighties, the collective ‘we’ wasn’t ready to listen.

You came like a comet, blazing your trail. Too high, too far, too soon, you saw the whole of the moon4.

In 2001 in the city of Cordoba, Argentina, a group of experts were assembled and asked to come up with a definition for probiotics5. This helped set a path that we remain on today.

But a definition is nothing without application and acceptance and stewardship. It requires passage to voices across the world. That is why the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) has been a mountain overseeing the field. Led so wonderfully by Mary Ellen Sanders, Glenn Gibson and other outstanding scientists, it is symbolic of the climb many have had to make.

If you understand or if you don’t. If you believe, or if you doubt. There’s a universal justice, and the eyes of truth are always watching you6.

There’s always gonna be another mountain. I’m always gonna wanna make it move. Always gonna be an uphill battle. Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose. Ain’t about how fast I get there, ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side. It’s the climb7.

It has certainly been a climb. For each of us. Cynicism too often outweighing optimism. Hype outweighing truth. Profit ahead of science. Ignorance over understanding. But together, we have reiterated the message, the importance of studies and data. Not in experimental mice or test tubes, but in the ultimate host where benefits are sought.

The road has taught me to fight our corner, but also that there is a magnificence and mystery in this planet we share. From the birth of a baby to the honey bee that pollinates our crops, to the salmon that crosses from salt to fresh water and back. All from the Mother we share8.

I’ve been fortunate that my career has allowed me to pursue my dream, although it’s never quite as it seems9. One song sums it up for me: While I’m alive I’ll make tiny changes to earth10.

I hope that I have made some tiny changes, especially in the poorest regions of Africa where the probiotic fermented foods of Western Heads East and Yoba-for-life are impacting lives of the young and old. Such inspiring people!

I think if each person is able to make tiny changes, we can leave this life better than whence we came.

As retirement looms, it’s funny how the same question is asked repeatedly. “So, what will you do now?” My answer is I’m moving to America. It’s an empty threat11. Actually, I think back to second year of my honours’ degree at Glasgow University and second year of my PhD at Massey University when my answer was “I don’t know for sure, but I’ll do my best.” I think we need to follow the voice inside us and hope that tomorrow brings wellness and satisfaction.

I won’t fill my walls with framed degrees or awards. Those are for photo albums of a blessed past. They were made possible because of hard work, an incredible family, and a set of friends and talented colleagues too numerous to name.

I’m proud of my publications and students, and hope they inspire others. But I only have two hands12, and we need the Big Ideas for you and me13. So, the laboratory, supplies, offices, and amazing staff and students at the St. Joseph’s Hospital site in London, Ontario await a new direction and someone to carry the fire14. For whoever is my successor, I will wish that tomorrow brings another day, another ray of hope15 and that he or she remembers you only get what you give16, and you only get one shot, do not miss your chance17.

Scientific endeavour, an open mind, supportive colleagues, and taking chances all make for an exciting career. I followed a path barely walked. It ostracized me from many in mainstream microbiology. When grant panel reviewers don’t believe your work has value or is needed, life gets challenging. So, you follow your heart, you lean on those who agree with you, and publish on peripheral topics to stay noticed. Then you smile when your critics actually start studying beneficial microbes and probiotics, and understand what you’ve been saying all along.

Probiotics are more than science. They encompass a philosophy, an anthropological perspective, a bridge between past and future. They are a mountain range of possibilities. As researchers we are still people. We should never shut out the disciplines and sounds and voices that surround us. We need to awaken them like adding medium to a dried Lactobacillus and watching it grow.

The possibilities are just as endless as when I started. But they need younger hands with the latest and future technical skill-sets to pursue the big ideas and to be a steward in defending probiotic science and excellence. These are indeed exciting times.

In closing, I hope you enjoy the music selection — and the irony of some of the album names.

As for me heading into the sunset of this journey: Let the music play. I just wanna dance the night away18.

References (unlike any you’ve seen before)

  1. Coldplay. 2017. Kaleidoscope, from A Head Full of Dreams.
  2. Alexander Fleming. 1945. In, The New York Times.
  3. British Sea Power. 2017. What You’re Doing, from Let the Dancers Inherit the Party.
  4. The Waterboys. 1985. The Whole Of The Moon, from This is the Sea.
  5. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization. 2001. Probiotics in Food. http://www.fao.org/3/a-a0512e.pdf
  6. Enigma. 1993. The Cross Of Changes from album of the same name.
  7. Miley Cyrus. 2009. The Climb, from Hannah Montana: The Movie.
  8. Chvrches. 2013. The Mother We Share, from The Bones of What You Believe.
  9. The Cranberries. 1992. Dreams, from Everybody Else is Doing It.
  10. Frightened Rabbit. 2008. Head Rolls Off, from Midnight Organ Fight.
  11. Kathleen Edwards. 2012. Empty Threat, from Voyageur.
  12. Avicii. 2013. Wake Me Up, from True.
  13. The Boxer Rebellion. 2016. Big Ideas, from Ocean by Ocean.
  14. Editors. 2010. No Sound But The Wind, from the Twilight Saga: New Moon.
  15. Bill Nelson. 1983. Another Day, Another Ray of Hope, from Chimera.
  16. New Radicals. 1998. You Get What You Give, from Maybe You’ve Been Brainwashed Too.
  17. Eminem. 2002. Lose Yourself, from the movie 8 Mile.
  18. Barry White. 1975. Let The Music Play, from the album of the same name.

See here for a video interview with Gregor Reid on his long career in probiotic science and how the field evolved over time.

new_website

ISAPP launches new website, furthering its mission of educating stakeholders on probiotic and prebiotic science

/in featured, News /by ISAPP

The ISAPP Board of Directors is pleased to announce the launch of the organization’s new website, which has now gone live at ISAPPscience.org. The website has been redesigned for easier navigation by different stakeholder groups—scientists, consumers, clinicians, and students—enabling ISAPP to continue with its mission of providing accurate, science-based information to its readers about probiotics, prebiotics and fermented foods.

ISAPP Executive Science Officer Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders says, “The scientists comprising the ISAPP Board of Directors realize that consumers and clinicians often struggle to find science-based information on probiotics and prebiotics. ISAPP is working to fill this gap, and we have streamlined our website to help individuals from each of these groups easily find the information they’re looking for.”

At the ISAPP annual meeting held earlier this year, advancing probiotic and prebiotic evidence to a variety of audiences was the topic of a special ‘springboard discussion’ session.

“Probiotic and prebiotic science has made significant progress in the past few decades,” says Sanders, “but this progress has not always been communicated effectively or correctly to those outside the scientific community.” Sanders continues, “Some studies describe an expanding array of health benefits but other studies show the limits of these interventions. Our goal is to counter the abundance of misinformation and be the go-to source of accurate materials about probiotics and prebiotics.”

ISAPP is building its capacity to produce more science-focused educational materials tailored to different audiences. Infographics, some of which are translated into 10 different languages, short videos and targeted blogs are featured on the new website. In coming weeks, ISAPP will make additional resources available on the website, including frequently asked questions about probiotics and prebiotics, and a downloadable white paper for clinicians. Signing up for the ISAPP newsletter is the best way to stay up to date on educational materials being added to the website.

2018 Annual Meeting Report Now Available

/in featured, News /by Mary Ellen Sanders

The meeting report for the Annual Meeting June 5-7th 2018 ISAPP in Singapore is now available, featuring overviews of the speakers and discussion group conclusions.

Two days of plenary talks focused on the latest science featuring prebiotic and probiotic use in: pediatrics, oral health, allergy immunotherapy, the gut microbiome throughout life, synbiotics, liver disease, honey bee health, chronic gut disorders, and more. The meeting also featured an interesting talk about the changes coming in the nomenclature of the genus Lactobacillus.

The plenary, open sessions were followed by a Discussion Forum on June 7th for invited experts and Industry Advisory Committee Members. The discussion groups focused on:

  • Harmonizing Global Probiotic and Prebiotic Food/Supplement Regulation
  • Fermented Foods for Health: East Meets West
  • Potential Value of Probiotics and Prebiotics to Treat or Prevent Serious Medical Issues in Developing Countries
  • Prebiotics as Ingredients: How Foods, Fibres and Delivery Methods Influence Functionality

Finally, there were over 70 posters presented at the meeting featuring the latest prebiotic and probiotic research from around the world.

Slides and abstracts for the meeting can be found on the ISAPP website under the “Annual Meetings” tab, available to meeting participants only.

ISAPP to host live webinar: Microbial metabolism associated with health

/in featured, News /by Mary Ellen Sanders

Update April 16, 2018:  Recording and slides from the webinar available here.

The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP), in partnership with the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe’s Prebiotics and Functional Foods Task Forces, has jointly organized a free webinar, titled “Microbial Metabolism Associated with Health”. The webinar runs April 12th, 2018 at 15:00 CET, and will highlight recent activities of both ISAPP and ILSI on the beneficial aspects of gut microbial fermentation. The specific focus will be on gut microbiota functions, the effects of the intestinal microbiota on selected nutrients and non-nutrients, and the health benefits of fermented foods. Scientists from both academia and industry may find the webinar of interest. Sign up here.

Webinar participants will learn the status of the science making the links between live microorganisms in the diet and host health. The host gut microbiota is a key factor in determining gut function, nutritional status, biochemical transformations of food and the overall impact on health. This diverse microbial community inhabiting the human gut assists in food metabolism and contributes to the bio-availability of nutrients and non-nutrients; it also has an extensive metabolic repertoire that complements mammalian enzymes in the liver and gut mucosa. Microbial metabolism is an important factor to consider when discussing the management of host health and conditions such as obesity and metabolic syndrome.

The enhanced nutritional and functional properties of fermented foods are being increasingly recognized; not only do microbes transform the substrates and form bioactive or bioavailable end-products, but also, fermented foods contain live microorganisms genetically similar to the strains found in probiotics. The webinar will cover the possible interactions of fermented foods and beverages with the gut microbiota, and potential links to health.

The 90-minute live webinar will be hosted on StreamGo, and will include a question and answer period at the end. There is no cost; however, participants are required to register online beforehand.

Speakers:

  • Effects of the Intestinal Microbiota on Selected Dietary Components
    a) Introduction and Background to the Activity (Dr. Colette Shortt, Johnson & Johnson, UK)
    b) Impact of Intestinal Metabolism and Findings (Prof. Ian Rowland, University of Reading, UK)
  • Health Benefits of Fermented Foods: Microbiota and Beyond (Prof. Robert Hutkins, University of Nebraska, USA)

 

Publications from ISAPP and ILSI-Europe related to the webinar topics:

probiotics webinar

Two Free Webinars on Probiotics!

/in featured, News /by Mary Ellen Sanders

Both webinars – eligible for continuing education credit – on probiotics involving ISAPP board members are scheduled. The first is scheduled for Thursday, March 15th 11am-noon CST. It  features Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD on the topic of “Be a Pre and Probiotic Pro” and is sponsored by General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition. Register here.

The second, “Navigating the World of Probiotics: Helping Patients Make Good Choices,” is under development by Medscape. Both Prof. Dan Merenstein MD and Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD will speak during this 30 min webinar. It will take place April 17. Register here.

fermented foods

Fermented foods, health and ISAPP

/in featured, News /by Mary Ellen Sanders

By Mary Ellen Sanders PhD, Executive Science Officer, ISAPP

It seems that fermented foods have ‘arrived’. Just within the community of ISAPP board members, fermented foods and their importance to health have been a topic of great interest. The idea that adding foods containing live microbes may be sound dietary advice has been reflected in many venues and formats, as seen here:

  • Bob Hutkins:
    • Presented “Health benefits of fermented dairy foods: microbiota and beyond” at 5th YINI Summit (Danone Institute) Fermented Foods and Health: The Intersection of Gut Microbiota and Fermentation Microbes on October 18, 2017.
    • Will convene a discussion group at ISAPP 2018 in Singapore “Taking advantage of fermented foods for health.”
    • Submitted a paper on counts of live microbes in fermented foods “A survey of live microorganisms in fermented foods”
    • Along with lead author Maria Marco and others summarized a discussion group on fermented foods convened at the 2016 meeting of ISAPP in Turku, reflected in this popular Current Opinions in Biotechnology article, Health Benefits of fermented foods: microbiota and beyond.
  • Gregor Reid:
  • Mary Ellen Sanders
  • Seppo Salminen:
  • ISAPP board of directors
    • In 2015, published several comments to the US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, presenting the scientific rational for fermented foods to be part of the US dietary guidelines. See here and here (and for a comment on prebiotic inclusion in dietary guidelines, see here)
    • Oversaw the ISAPP Science Translation committee, which published a consumer-friendly infographic and related materials on Fermented Foods.

ISAPP will continue to work to get this topic recognized by nutrition professionals globally.