Bringing a new probiotic bakery food to market involves testing for actual bacterial count at the end of shelf life. Kopp works closely with potential customers, but limits testing to those applications with good potential. He does not recommend bread because of the high baking temperatures.

“One good candidate for incorporating probiotics is a high solids filling, like a sandwich cookie creme filling. Icings also have good potential as probiotic carriers, as do fillings for sweet rolls, and chocolate inclusions. Systems with high fat and high protein help protect bacteria from humidity and moisture. Our expertise allows us to know which ingredients in a particular formula may have to be changed to maximize survival,” adds Kopp. Lallemand has the capability to test for probiotic survival at the end of shelf life. Refrigeration will often extend shelf life.

An alternative approach to using probiotics is to incorporate a spore-former. “One strain of Bacillus coagulans, Ganeden BC30, has probiotic benefits with highly viable cells that survive the manufacturing process,” notes Rodger Jonas, national business development manager, P.L. Thomas & Co., Morristown, N.J. Up to 78 percent of this strain has been shown to survive the gastric environment. Thomas & Co. has tested this probiotic and found viable cells in a muffin that was baked at 350°F for 20 minutes, frozen immediately and then stored frozen for 14 days. This strain has recently received GRAS status.

Keeping probiotics viable in a bakery food is only half of the story. The body presents its own challenges. Most of the reported benefits of probiotics occur in the lower intestine and colon. To reach this destination alive, the friendly bacteria must survive the acidic environment of the stomach and the secretions of the pancreas, including enzymes and bile. Studies have shown that encapsulation can increase survival rates.

“Wholesale bakers actually need to test the viability of bacteria at the end of shelf life,” says Kopp. “If the product is being sold for a probiotic benefit and the regular shelf life is 14 days, but the shelf life of the probiotics is only 10 days, then it will be necessary for the baker to label the product with the shelf life of 10 days.”

Probiotics vs. prebiotics

Most experts agree that probiotics need to be ingested on a regular basis, typically once a day, to exert an ongoing benefit. Their population in the gut can be enhanced by the presence of prebiotics, specific ingredients that serve as food for the probiotics. Examples of prebiotics include inulin, resistant starch, polydextrose, certain lactose derivatives, such as lactulose and tagatose, and certain gums including gum acacia, guar gum and pectin. Products that contain both prebiotics and probiotics are “symbiotic.” Bakery foods are great delivery vehicles for prebiotics.

Warburton's Ltd. of Bolton, U.K., introduced “Healthy Inside” bread. Although this product claims to “wake up your friendly bacteria,” it does not contain any actual bacteria, but rather includes the prebiotic fiber inulin. According to the manufacturer, three slices of its bread provide one-third of the daily 5 g recommended intake.

“There are publications that have come out that have documented some effects of dead microbes. And, that's completely fine, and they may even overlap in some mechanistic way with live microbes, but that's just something else, that's not probiotics. So, the term probiotic has to be reserved for live microbes,” emphasizes Mary Ellen Sanders, PhD., president, Dairy and Food Culture Technologies, Centennial, Colo.-an important point when considering adding probiotics as a health benefit to formulations.

Bakers who want to capitalize on this health benefit should remember that saying “contains probiotics” is not as easy as saying “contains whole grain.” But there may be some great opportunities in this “live-ly” new niche.

Some Reported Probiotic Benefits*

• Improves digestive health
• Enhances the immune system
• Improves lactose digestion
• Reduces the incidence or duration of some diarrheal illnesses

*Note that benefits are strain specific

For more information see www.usprobiotics.org