Why Choose Food Research Lab's FRL as Your Food Product Development (FPD) Consultant and Partner?

There are several options in almost every product area in today’s market, and the difficulty is in coming up with unique items that stand out and connect with customers. Food Research Lab's Food Research Lab takes a holistic approach to creating food and beverage products. We define, demographically target, and build effective goods through a sequential process for category selection and comprehension. The client can visit the lab to learn the process. We offer unlimited rounds of revisions to ensure customer satisfaction. The final product prototype, along with the documentation process, including the video (through email), will be shipped to the client, and in case the client is not satisfied with the video, a food technology consultant will visit the place for the product demo at the client’s costs.

What are the different forms that you deliver the Food Product Formulations?

The food industry is witnessing a new form of consumption. Keeping that in mind, we can formulate the products in the form of ready-to-eat, ready-to-drink, ready-to-mix, ready-to-serve, and ready-to-cook food products. We use ingredients that offer an added value to the development and improve its indulgence and sustainability in terms of its functional ingredients, plant-based food dyes, and natural preservatives with a clean label.

What are the sectors Food Research Lab cover?

We cover a wide range of sectors such as soups, sauces and dips, chips, tortillas, dry beverage powder, plant-based products, masalas, puddings, instant mixes and many more.

How is sensory testing been carried out?

Our sensory examination leads to the precise formulation and recipe recommendations. We develop data-driven design models based on sensory research and customer insights. The fact-based design methodology used by Food Research Lab reduces risk and gives our clients market confidence while cutting development time in half. With our dedicated sensory lab facility, our team takes satisfaction in creating and optimizing successful products in the marketplace, generating a favourable return on investment, and developing brand advocates.

The health benefits of probiotics rely on their ability to remain viable in sufficient numbers in food products. According to FAO/WHO (2002), probiotic foods must contain at least 10⁶ CFU/g of live microorganisms to confer health benefits (12–14 ). However, maintaining the stability and viability of probiotics throughout their journey—from production to consumption—remains a significant challenge.

Ensuring Probiotic Viability: Strategies for Stability and Efficacy in Food Products

Interesting News . Jan 07, 2025

Introduction

The health benefits of probiotics rely on their ability to remain viable in sufficient numbers in food products. According to FAO/WHO (2002), probiotic foods must contain at least 10⁶ CFU/g of live microorganisms to confer health benefits (12–14 ). However, maintaining the stability and viability of probiotics throughout their journey—from production to consumption—remains a significant challenge.

The Importance of Probiotic Viability

To ensure health benefits, probiotics must survive gastrointestinal (GI) transit and reach the colon in an active state. This viability is threatened by various stress factors encountered during:

Factors Influencing Probiotic Stability

Probiotic strains exhibit variations in functional properties, stability, and efficacy. These differences are influenced by:

Strategies to Improve Probiotic Stability

Several innovative methods have been explored to enhance probiotic viability and stability:

Stress Adaptation: Pre-treatment techniques that prepare probiotics to withstand environmental stresses.
Selective Pressure Treatment: Exposing probiotics to controlled stress conditions to enhance resilience.
Mutagenesis and Genetic Modification: Altering probiotic DNA to improve stability and efficacy, although genetically modified strains are not widely accepted in food applications (1 5).
Encapsulation Technology:

Encapsulation: The Gold Standard for Probiotic Protection

Encapsulation involves enclosing probiotics within a protective matrix, shielding them from adverse conditions while maintaining their functionality. Benefits include:

Challenges and Considerations

While encapsulation offers significant advantages, the overall process must balance cost-effectiveness and scalability. Additionally, regulatory acceptance and consumer preferences play a crucial role, especially when genetically modified strains are involved (16, 17 ).

How Food Research Lab Supports Probiotic Stability and Product Development

At Food Research Lab, we specialize in developing stable and effective probiotic formulations tailored to meet consumer and regulatory demands. Our expertise includes:

• Microbial Strain Selection: Identifying robust probiotic strains with proven stability and health benefits.
• Encapsulation Technology: Utilizing advanced encapsulation techniques to ensure probiotic viability during processing, storage, and digestion.
• Stress Adaptation Studies: Conducting pre-treatment and stress resilience assessments to enhance strain durability.
• Product Development: Designing innovative food and beverage applications with probiotics, balancing efficacy, taste, and market appeal.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring formulations meet FSSAI, FDA, and international probiotic guidelines for safety and efficacy.

By leveraging cutting-edge research and state-of-the-art facilities, FRL empowers manufacturers to bring high-quality probiotic products to market, ensuring both consumer satisfaction and competitive advantage.

Conclusion

The stability of probiotics is crucial for their effectiveness in promoting health. Encapsulation has emerged as a reliable and widely accepted method to protect probiotics and ensure their efficacy. As research progresses, new strategies and technologies will further enhance the viability of probiotics in food applications, making them more accessible and beneficial for consumers worldwide.