Health awareness
Consumers say that future health, daily health, as well as ‘to feel good’ are predominant driving forces for selecting foods. The trend in health has come on top of two other key consumer needs: taste and convenience. The increased health awareness has created a growing market for foods and supplements with claimed functional benefits.
In essence, these claims can direct consumers to the products that fulfil their needs. Products with claims may assist in consumer education and can provide attractive alternatives for the health-conscious consumer.
Probiotics have gained a significant position in the foods and supplements market and are expected to continue to show tremendous growth for the future. Specific probiotic strains can have a positive impact on the immune system and on the digestive system. As such they can improve the body’s natural defense, contribute to healthy digestion and support people’s quest for vitality.

Probiotics
Probiotics are defined as ‘live micro-organisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host’. In order for probiotics to be able to exert their health benefits, several key success factors apply:

• Minimum dosage; probiotics are only effective when dosed in sufficient numbers.
• Stability; probiotics should be stable in the end product during the entire shelf life.
• Survivability; probiotics should be able to survive the harsh conditions in the gastro-intestinal tract to be able to reach the small and large intestine, where they can have a physiological benefit

The LAFTI® strains have been developed taking the above described key success factors into account.

Probiotic LAFTI® range
Our LAFTI® strains give you a complete package, offering targeted health benefits for your functional food products or supplements. The following strains are available within the LAFTI® range.

• L. acidophilus LAFTI® L10 (L10) • L. casei LAFTI® L26 (L26) • Bifidobacterium LAFTI® B94 (B94)