Safety issues of probiotic ingestion

Abstract

Probiotics is a loose term that encompasses a very large number of microorganisms that are being ingested with the belief that health is improved and have generally been part of fermented food sources. This has been capitalized on with the thought that they are completely safe for human ingestion. Current manufacturing and packaging processes have now allowed for very large numbers of these organisms to be easily ingested and for extended periods. There have been few studies with safety as the primary outcomes; however, the number of studies and reports in the literature continue to mount allowing for some insight into safety issues that need to be considered at this time.