Evaluation of Probiotics and Safety Concerns

The probiotics are aimed to improve health and prevent or manage some disorders, hence serving as supplemental therapeutics. The uniqueness of probiotics is that they confer nutritional and therapeutic effects only if administered in appropriate dosage. As an increasing number of microorganisms from diverse origins have been developed as probiotics, their safety to consumers should be the priority. The probiotics should meet well-defined safety criteria. Genetic stability of probiotic strains over the time, deleterious metabolic activities, probability of mutations, or toxicity must be assessed. The anticipated health benefits of probiotics must be assured through clinical trials before they are advocated for human use.