Formulations and health claims of commercially available fermented dairy products in the USA

Probiotics are marketed in two forms: dietary supplements with functional bacteria added and in fermented foods. Dietary supplements typically list all bacteria, estimated numbers of viable bacteria, and putative health benefits. Fermented dairy foods utilize many of the same bacteria found in dietary supplements, but often do make health claims, list numbers of bacteria, or even list all bacteria. This study surveyed fermented diary foods in the USA to determine commonly used bacterial strains and evaluate health claims in commercially available fermented dairy foods. Only foods that claimed to have active bacteria were included in the study. Foods with active cultures listed included yogurt, soy yogurt, liquid yogurt, kefir, and sour cream. There was an average of 5 bacterial species listed in the products with the highest listing 10 bacterial species in a kefir product. The most commonly used bacteria was Lactobacillus acidophilus. Most products did not make health claims and those that did were not typically related to disease treatment claims; health claims that were made included “helps boost calcium absorption”, “calcium…may help you lose weight”, and “may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol”. Although most products did not make specific health claims for probiotic properties, the selection of bacteria did suggest that products are being formulated to provide probiotic benefits.