Call for a responsible use of the term ‘probiotic’ in Europe [Promoted content]

The International Probiotics Association Europe (IPA Europe) is deeply committed to promoting the responsible use of probiotics in food and food supplements. In this statement IPA Europe asks for an evaluation of the current understanding of the term ‘probiotic’ in the EU and to set up clear criteria to prevent the indiscriminate use of the term ‘probiotic’ and its potential misinterpretation. The full text is available here.

Probiotic food and food supplements have gained significant popularity in recent years, as they contain beneficial microorganisms, typically bacteria and yeast, that are believed to have a positive impact on health when consumed in adequate amounts. These microorganisms have been incorporated into a wide range of products, from yoghurt to dietary supplements, with nutritional and health benefits such as improving gut health, digestion, the immune system and more. However, it is important to note that ‘probiotics’, in and of themselves, do not constitute specific health claims.

The policy event  “Probiotics in Europe – How can better regulation strengthen the knowledge of probiotics for consumer health?” was organised by EURACTIV on April 24th, 2023 to discuss the probiotics sector, its challenges and opportunities, and how increased clarity can benefit European industry while providing better information and transparency for consumers. For Lasse Hamilton Heideman, member of the Fit4Future platform, which works to help the Commission simplify EU laws, the current situation is “unclear”. In that occasion the panellists agreed that while authorising the use of the term ‘probiotic’ may be beneficial for the consumers to help choose the right product for them, caution must be taken to ensure that the term is backed by rigorous scientific proof and is not misleading.

We advocate for a regulatory landscape that encourages innovation and investment, while providing  regulatory predictability and ensuring that consumers have access to transparent and understandable information.

President of the European Commission Ursula van der Leyen announced an ‘EU Biotech and Biomanufacturing Initiative’ as a priority. The probiotic sector is very keen to contribute to shift to innovative solutions that are produced with the use of living microorganisms and fermentation technology,  to respond to the growing need for sustainable, healthier food, and more efficient production methods. The European Commission should also consider appropriate actions to provide for a harmonised implementation and enforcement of the rules guiding industry stakeholders to uniformly implement EU rules related to probiotics content of food products.

The term ‘probiotic’ is currently used in Europe and worldwide to describe a category of products and ingredients that share certain characteristics.

While some European countries only allow the use of the term probiotic for food supplements, others permit labelling in both food and supplements, and in certain countries, probiotics cannot be labelled at all. This inconsistency creates a challenging landscape for consumers to navigate.

A well-defined framework for the use of the term ‘probiotic’ in Europe for food and food supplements would benefit consumers and industry stakeholders alike. It is time for overcoming the European Commission current regulatory interpretation which, for more than 15 years, has hindered the EU probiotics sector from flourishing as well as restricting consumer information.

EU legislation should be responsive to innovation, while also providing regulatory predictability. Enhancing clarity is imperative to alleviate the existing confusion among European consumers concerning probiotic labelling.

IPA Europe advocates for a comprehensive review of the European approach to align with the actual nature of probiotics as a distinct category of substances of food and food supplements (IPA Europe and ISAPP open-access paper “Criteria to qualify microorganisms as ‘probiotic’ in foods and dietary supplements).

The term ‘probiotic’ should be allowed on food and food supplements labels as voluntary information, according to the Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation, subject to meeting specific criteria and conditions of use.

We are enthusiastic about the potential of probiotics food and food supplements and are committed to collaborating with stakeholders across sectors to ensure that EU legislation supports innovation but also encourage measures to promote consumer health and environmental sustainability.