Production Process For Probiotic Strains Causes Significant Changes

An international team of researchers studying different strains of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG from various sources has found that bacteria properties were different depending on the source and manufacturing process and the type of food that carried the strains, facts that should be taken into account in future clinical studies. The researchers tested 13 different strains of L. rhamnosus derived from capsule products, commercial infant foods, etc. Each strain was tested for various characteristics; results varied for each strain. The researchers said the findings suggest there is a need for greater quality control when producing probiotic strains to make sure the production process doesn’t cause changes. “Ensuring the original properties is especially important when the strain or product is used in human intervention studies,” they wrote.