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Preface
This Second International Probiotics
Symposium, organized under the auspices of the Governors’ Foundation of
the Food Research and Development Centre, reaffirms its objective of
supporting high-calibre scientific activities focussing on food and its
effect on health. The Foundation is proud to have attracted speakers of
corresponding quality and world renowned expertise. The Foundation notes
with great satisfaction that many people having a direct influence on
consumers have taken part in the Symposium.
According to the speakers, the literature and experts in the health
field, we must elucidate the exchange processes at work between
microorganisms in the gastro-intestinal system of animals. It is also
important to clarify the various mechanisms that contribute to the
health and well-being of the host. Probiotics represent a small part of
the microbial mass in the human gastro-intestinal system. They seem to
play significant biofunctional roles, however, in that they can improve
an individual's health and physiological functions. Their effectiveness
is influenced by many factors, including the presence of prebiotics,
with which they seem to act in synergy.
This event has highlighted the fact that
microorganisms communicate between themselves, and possibly with the
cells of the host. The intestines have also been identified as the
second brain in humans.
Finally, considerable research has been profiled showing the numerous
human health benefits associated with probiotics. The speakers and
participants agree on the need to use the new tools that science has
made available and on the importance of conducting rigorous scientific
studies to identify and elucidate the processes involved in improving
numerous health problems. At the same time, empirical and scientific
observations seem to confirm that the absorption of probiotics does not
cause any problems in healthy individuals. And very few documented cases
link them to problems, even in therapeutic or preventive applications.
Furthermore, history abounds with examples confirming that populations
have benefited when they regularly consume probiotics as part of their
diet.
The probiotics theme attracts numerous interest groups, all with an
involvement in the food continuum. These groups exhibit various
motivations and strategies depending on their ends and objectives. I
would refer the reader to a text written by Gérard Pascal1, which
prefaced the book «Aliments fonctionnels», published in 2002. Mr. Pascal
succeeds, admirably in my opinion, in identifying the issues in the
broader context of functional foods. Without passing judgment, he points
to the risks and opportunities of the positions held by the various
interest groups. The risk associated with the faltering confidence of
consumers, which if poorly informed or deceived, could lead functional
foods to near disappearance. Conversely, their scientifically proven
contribution to the health improvement of individuals would profit all.
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1Pascal,
Gérard, « Préface » in: Robertfroid, Marcel B. Aliments fonctionnels.
Paris: Ed. TEC & DOC, 2002; pp. III-V. |
