Scientists have outlined a new strategic roadmap for prebiotic health claims to gain regulatory recognition in food and supplements in the EU. Currently, the term prebiotics has not been authorized in the region for use as a health claim, nor are there recommendations on how to achieve this. The paper in Gut Microbes suggests prebiotic substances must be characterized under in vitro and in vivo conditions using state-of-the-art research methods. Next, they note that selective microbiota modulation should be associated with a “demonstrable physiological benefit” and linked mechanistically to that benefit.
