REVIEW ARTICLE: CURRENT ROLE OF PROBIOTICS IN FOOD SAFETY AND HEALTH

Background: Probiotics are live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts; confer a health benefit on the host. Subcategories of the general term probiotic include probiotic drugs (intended to cure, treat, or prevent disease), probiotic foods (which include foods, food ingredients, and dietary supplements), direct-fed microbials (probiotics for animal use), and designer probiotics (genetically modified probiotics). As the field of probiotics has advanced, the types of clinical indications tested for probiotic impact and the range of physiologic status of subjects being tested have greatly expanded. A given probiotic, tested in different clinical situations, might exert a beneficial effect, show no effect, or result in an adverse effect. However, a negative or adverse effect in certain situations does not negate probiotic status. Such results do, however, stress the need to be specific about the benefits that are documented for each probiotic and the situations in which use is considered to pose an undue risk. Use of “probiotic” to describe a strain refers to proven beneficial effects of the strain. Furthermore, it should not be presumed that a probiotic will be effective or safe under all conditions of use(1) Methods : Review of different article on google scholar and pubmed. Results: The science around the concept of probiotics continues to expand. Current global research efforts have greatly contributed to the understanding of the role of GI commensal organisms in their extraordinary symbiotic relationship with humans. Continued research into the microbiota will no doubt help lead to an improved insight into the impact of probiotics on human health. Conclusion: Evidence continues to emerge that probiotics have an influence on the immune system and thereby may enhance resistance to infections, particularly those of the GI or respiratory tract, and help to mitigate allergies, particularly in infants and young children. Evidence is gradually developing for the potential for probiotics to impact other conditions of the GI tract. One critically important fact to bear in mind is that reported benefits of probiotics should be considered strain-specific. It must be remembered only a limited number of microbes have been documented as probiotic. In all cases, it is clear that probiotics must be consumed regularly in order to confer ahealth benefit. Key words: probiotics , probiotic drug, Lactobacillus , Probiotic therap