Safety Aspects of Fermented and Probiotic Foods

Fermentation is an age old technique that has been progressing continuously for better shelf life, safety, digestibility and for better nutritional value of fermented milk products. Lactic acid bacteria are most important in onset of fermentation which directing health benefits conferred by them. These health benefits are strain specific as genetic, biochemical and physiological differences among the strains of the same species. Safety evaluation and assessment of local and undefined cultures are utmost important otherwise, it may promotes public allegations succeeding into confidence loss in functional foods. Conventional techniques of toxicology and safety evaluation are not sufficient since a probiotic is meant to survive and grow in human colon in order to benefit humans. Hence, there is a need for in vivo assessment in support of in vitro confirmation for an adequate safety of currently undefined cultures before their use in fermented milk products preparations.