The Global Prebiotic Association (GPA) has published a perspective paper discussing the power of prebiotics.
The paper, which is published in Advances in Nutrition, aims to provide a comprehensive review of the science on the nutraceutical group for an industry audience.
It also delves into how the functional ingredients industry could advance this sector, and current discussions going on in the field.
The paper mainly centers around:
- What are prebiotics and how do they benefit health
- Mechanisms of action (MOA)
- Utilising prebiotics in dietary supplements and functional foods
- Updating the definition of 'prebiotic' through recent developments in gut microbiome research
Prebiotics take on a new definition
According to the Global Prebiotic Association, the current definition of prebiotics should consider the prebiotic effect and performance benefit.
The organisation's new definition aims to encompass new prebiotic ingredients and formulation variants, while also considering prebiotic ingredients that impact the microbiomes outside of our guts.
Through this definition, the Global Prebiotic Association hopes to promote clarity between the industry, regulators, healthcare professionals and consumers.
"While prebiotics can be leveraged to promote health, a lot of confusion remains among consumers and other stakeholders around the term prebiotic and what exactly is a prebiotic effect." said Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Edward Deehan.
"This position paper is a significant achievement for the prebiotic category and GPA, as it provides a sound regulatory and scientific perspective that will help bring clarity to and advance the category."
Developing novel prebiotics
To further assist the prebiotic industry, the GPA is currently developing a Standards of Evidence tool to characterise established, novel and emerging prebiotics.
The technology is designed as a go-to resource for those writing technical papers on prebiotics, as well as prebiotic-focused quality assurance programmes, such as SGS Nutrasource's NutraStrong Prebiotic Verified initiative.
Executive Director of GPA, Len Monheit, commented: "The GPA's mission is to steward responsible growth of the prebiotic category globally. It is also to recognise established and emerging benefits, and the prebiotic definition, as well as the discussion of prebiotic effect represents a huge milestone for us as an organisation."
"The value of this paper lies in its presentation of insights from key stakeholders – prebiotic industry professionals and scientists – who frequently engage with the public and recognise the importance of clear, precise terminology in definitions." Santa Al Antwan, Regulatory Affairs Associate at SGS Nutrasource and co-author of the paper concluded.