ABSTRACT
Introduction ........................................................................................................ 233
Spray Drying ...................................................................................................... 235
Freeze Drying ..................................................................................................... 238
Storage of Dried Probiotic Powders ............................................................... 240
Applications of Dried Probiotic Powder Ingredients .................................. 240
Conclusions......................................................................................................... 242
Acknowledgments ............................................................................................. 242
References ........................................................................................................... 242
Probiotics, described as “live microorganisms which when consumed in
adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”(FAO/WHO, 2001),
are currently receiving much research attention, both from clinical and
commercial perspectives. Over the past two decades, the intake of probiotic
bacteria, particularly in dairy products, has increased substantially,
spawning an industry now valued at e30 billion worldwide (Saarela et al.,
2000; de Vos et al., 2004). The most commonly used probiotic strains for food
use belong to the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium (Stanton et al.,
2003), and generally share such features as generally recognized as safe
(GRAS) status of human origin and tolerance to acid and bile, in addition to
demonstrated health benefits (Ouwehand et al., 2002). A number of health
benefits have been demonstrated in clinical trials associated with
regular ingestion of probiotics, including alleviation of lactose intolerance
(Martini et al., 1991; Jiang et al., 1996), diarrhea (Isolauri et al., 1991; Saavedra
et al., 1994; Shornikova et al., 1997; Guandalini et al., 2000), atopic eczema
(Isolauri et al., 1999; Kalliomaki et al., 2001), and urinary tract infections
(Reid et al., 2003) (Table 13.1). While the clinical evidence for probiotics in
preventing and/or treating some disorders, particularly in the gut, are well
documented, there also appears to be potential for probiotics in areas such as
the management of inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn’s disease, and
cancer, although further investigations are required (Shanahan, 2000;
Stanton et al., 2003).
