Table 1

Probiotics products, uses and claims

Probiotic product*	Intended use	Applicable claim	Comments
Dietary supplement	Generally intended for the healthy population	Health claim (eg, ‘enhances natural resistance’)	EU/USA. There are no health claims regarding probiotics approved by the European Food Safety Authority or by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration However, individual countries may have regulatory systems permitting probiotic-based claims
Food ingredient	Generally intended for the healthy population	Health claim (eg, ‘enhances natural resistance’)
Drug	Restricted to a population of patients	Medical claim (eg, for the treatment of diarrhoea)	A probiotic product that is marketed as a drug must meet more rigorous requirements A number of probiotic products have registrations; however, often, these are historical registrations In the EU, national authorizations are available for medicinal products to be marketed in one member state only

*Depending on the country, the same probiotic microorganism(s) may be available as food supplements, available as registered pharmaceutical products and/or incorporated into foods.