Evaluation of probiotic dairy products on the market

Fermented dairy products with probiotics belong to functional foods, besides their nutritional value they also have beneficial effects on our health, which are mainly based on the content of lactic acid bacteria and probiotic microorganisms. The aim of the thesis was i) to evaluate information concerning fermented dairy products and probiotics among the general public through a questionnaire survey ii) to assess the offer of fermented dairy products with probiotics in five retail chains (Globus, Terno, Tesco, Billa and Trefa). Out of a total of 972 respondents, the majority (96%) reported that they consume fermented dairy products. The most popular fermented dairy product is yoghurt (87%). The majority of respondents (61%) prefer plain products. The choice of fermented dairy products when purchasing is mostly influenced by the taste of the product (607 responses), its price (461 responses) and previous experience (423 responses). Most respondents correctly knew that regular consumption of fermented dairy products improves our digestion (730 responses) and supports the immune system (562 responses). The retail chains offered a total of 147 products (70% of which were plain). The products came from 18 producers (of which only three were foreign). From the information on the products, it was found that the following probiotic micro-organisms were added by the producers to their products: Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, L. rhamnosus, L. paracasei, Bifidobacterium spp. and Streptococcus thermophilus. However, the most commonly used genus is Bifidobacterium