Background
Over the past 15 years, the scientific evidence for the beneficial health effects of probiotics has attracted much attention. Only in the past 5-10 years have prebiotics been attracting similar levels of interest but a broadly credible, accepted definition or exact understanding of their mechanism are still lacking.
Recent research indicates that intervention with specific prebiotics may provide beneficial effects on mineral absorption, colon cancer, immune function, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, antibiotic associated diarrhoea, lipid metabolism, appetite regulation and atherosclerotic plaque formation. This suggests that there is potential to establish prebiotic intervention as an important tool to reduce the risk of some chronic diseases. In many cases, the underlying mechanism of effect remains to be determined.
Objectives
The objectives of the Prebiotics Task Force are to:
- Achieve a working definition of prebiotics
- Collate the evidence for the physiological effects of prebiotics that may have an impact on microflora and other health effects on the host:
- Identify criteria for substantiation of prebiotic efficacy;
- Identify emerging areas of health impacts of non-digestible food ingredients and feed on health benefits and / or physiological functions.
To achieve these objectives, the task force set up two expert groups.
Impact
The output from these expert groups will promote the understanding of prebiotics amongst scientists and regulators. The task force has the potential, through a consensus agreement of independent experts, to put in place sound foundations for prebiotic functional foods in Europe for the coming decade, securing consumer and medical support, and lead to a healthy sustainable expansion of the prebiotic concept into reducing the risk of some diseases.
Activities
Definition of Prebiotics
The task force commissioned an expert group to develop a robust working definition of prebiotics.
Are prebiotics an ingredient or a concept? This and other questions are being discussed aiming to timely define a definition of prebiotics with significant value for future consideration by the FAO and EFSA.
The TF plans to publish this definition together with the outcome of the expert group’s work on metabolic and health effects of prebiotics in a scientific journal.
Metabolic and Health Effects of Prebiotics
The task force commissioned a second expert group to compile and evaluate the existing evidence for the effect of prebiotics on metabolism and health in the following conditions:
- Gut microecology
- In vitro effects
- Immune System
- Weight Management
- Pediatrics
- IBD/IBS
- Mineral absorption/metabolism
- Cancer
To ensure a wide dissemination, the findings will be presented at next ISAPP conference and a workshop will be organized in 2010.
The output of the expert group will be published in a peer reviewed scientific journal.
Task Force Collaborators
Members 2009
|
Dr. Bernd Stahl - Chair - |
Groupe Danone |
DE |
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Aline Adam-Perrot |
Tate & Lyle |
FR |
|
Dr. Anne Birkett |
GTC Nutrition |
USA |
|
Dr. Gontran Dondain |
Colloïdes Naturels International |
FR |
|
Dr. Anne Franck |
Cargill |
BE |
|
Dr. Toine Hulshof |
Kellogg Europe |
NL |
|
Ms. Heidi Jacobs |
Cosucra |
BE |
|
Dr. Michele Kellerhals |
Coca-Cola Europe |
UK |
|
Dr. Gunhild Kozianowski |
Südzucker/BENEO Group |
DE |
|
Dr. Satoshi Kudo |
Yakult Europe |
NL |
|
Dr. Catherine Lefranc |
Roquette Frères |
FR |
|
Dr. Irene Lenoir-Wijnkoop |
ISO-IDF Joint Action Team on Probiotics |
FR |
|
Dr. Brigid McKevith |
Cereal Partners Worldwide |
UK |
|
Dr. Diederick Meyer |
Sensus |
NL |
|
Ms. Begüm Mutus |
Ülker Bisküvi |
TK |
|
Dr. Arjen Nauta |
FrieslandCampina |
NL |
|
Dr. Arthur Ouwehand |
Danisco |
FI |
|
Ms. Frédérique Respondek |
Syral |
FR |
|
Prof. Marcel Roberfroid |
Scientific advisor |
BE |
|
Dr. Ric Van Tol |
Mead Johnson Nutrition |
NL |
|
Dr. Sophie Vinoy |
Kraft Foods |
DE |
|
Dr. Danielle Wolvers |
Unilever |
NL |
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Agnès Méheust |
ILSI Europe |
BE |
|
Ms. Toula Aslanidis |
ILSI Europe |
BE |
Expert Group on Working Definition Prebiotics
|
Dr. Francisco Guarner - Chair - |
Hospital General Vall d'Hebron |
ES |
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Satoshi Kudo |
Yakult Europe |
NL |
|
Dr. Sandra Macfarlane |
Dundee University |
UK |
|
Prof. Robert Rastall |
University of Reading |
UK |
|
Prof. Marcel Roberfroid |
Université Catholique de Louvain |
BE |
|
Dr. Bernd Stahl |
Groupe Danone |
DE |
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Agnès Méheust |
ILSI Europe |
BE |
Expert Group on Metabolic & Health Effects of Prebiotics
|
Prof. Marcel Roberfroid - Chair - |
Scientific Advisor |
BE |
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Véronique Coxam |
INRA |
FR |
|
Prof. Nathalie Delzenne |
Université Catholique de Louvain |
BE |
|
Dr. Anne Franck |
Cargill |
BE |
|
Prof. Glenn Gibson/
Prof. Robert Rastall |
University of Reading |
UK |
|
Dr. Francisco Guarner |
Hospital General Vall d’Hebron |
ES |
|
Dr. Juliane Kleiner * |
EFSA |
IT |
|
Dr. Gunhild Kozianowski |
Südzucker/ BENEO Group |
DE |
|
Dr. James Lindsay |
Barts and The London School of Medecine |
UK |
|
Dr. Sandra Macfarlane |
Dundee University |
UK |
|
Dr. Brigid McKevith |
Cereal Partners Worldwide |
UK |
|
Ms. Frédérique Respondek |
Syral |
FR |
|
Prof. Ian Rowland |
University of Reading |
UK |
|
Dr. Bernd Stahl |
Groupe Danone |
DE |
|
Prof. Hania Szajewska |
Medical University of Warsaw |
PL |
|
Prof. Henk van Loveren |
National Institute for Public Health & the Environment (RIVM) |
NL |
|
Dr. Bernhard Watzl |
Max Rubner-Institute |
DE |
|
Dr. Kevin Whelan |
King’s College London |
UK |
|
Dr Danielle Wolvers |
Unilever |
NL |
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Agnès Méheust |
ILSI Europe |
BE |
* Observer
For more information, please contact info@ilsieurope.be