ABSTRACT
The increasing consumer awareness that diet and health are linked is stimulating the innovative development of novel products by the food industry. The new products, which should satisfy the consumer needs, are functional foods containing probiotic microorganisms with scientifically supported health claims for improving one’s state of well-being and helping reduce the risk of diseases. Probiotic bacteria are used as the active ingredient in functional foods, most frequently in bioyogurt, and also in dietary adjuncts and health-related products. The health benefits attributed to probiotic bacteria can be categorized as either nutritional benefits or therapeutic benefits.
