Probiotic Association of India: Official

ty is getting receptive to ‘Probiotic Culture’ and finds these products very attractive bioactive ingredients by serving as prophylactics or biotherapeutics for promoting human health and well being as well as management of specific diseases. However, still there is a long way to go before these probiotic foods change the Indian mind set and reach the common man to explore their full health benefits. Despite a wealth of knowledge on probiotics, we find that probiotics do not fit into the healthcare scenario in India as effectively as in other developed countries. Moreover, there are certain misconceptions and myths associated with probiotics that is creating confusion in the minds of Indian consumers with regard to their safe use for health applications. The situation is further complicated due to non availability of regulatory quality control standards for probiotic foods in India. Although, Indian guidelines for probiotic cultures and foods have recently been launched by ICMR in collaboration with DBT and put on their respective web sites for public reaction, it is going to take a while before their implementation at the governmental level. In the absence of any regulatory standards, there would always be a possibility of spurious and ineffective products with false claims entering the market that can shatter the confidence of Indian consumers in probiotic products. Under the present situation prevailing in the country, the Indian consumer is in dilemma about the acceptability of probiotic foods due to gaps in the knowledge about the credibility of health claims associated with these value added products chiefly attributed to ‘lack of awareness’ on the purported health benefits of probiotics. Maybe by creating a ‘platform’ where doctors, scientists, manufacturers, patients, health professionals etc. can ‘cross-talk’. It was, therefore, considered highly appropriate that all the stake holders including R & D Scientists, Medical
practitioners, clinicians, nutritionists along with the industry personnel involved in probiotic research, product development and marketing join hands together and work as a team to promote probiotic food products and formulations in the country for the benefit of the large Indian population. Realizing the immense potential of probiotics and their relevance in meeting the nutritional and health care requirements from the national perspective, NDRI, Karnal took an initiative and formed a National core group on probiotics and its first meeting was held at NDRI, Karnal on 5 th March, 2010 to discuss some pertinent issues related to probiotic status in India. The 2 nd meeting of the core group was held at NASC complex,
New Delhi on Nov 15, 2010 with major focus on the role of industry in carrying forward the probiotic mission in the country along with R&D institutions involved in probiotic research to foster the creation of a healthy society in the country through probiotic interventions. As a follow up of the outcome of these meetings, NDRI was entrusted with the responsibility of getting this National core group on probiotics as a registered society for smooth conduct of its activities and effective dialogue with the government on policy matter on all the vital issues related to probiotics in the country. Finally, with the active and wholehearted support
and cooperation of all the members of the National Core group on Probiotics, PAI was got registered as a society with effect from Dec. 8, 2010. With the registration of PAI, the probiotic core group has now acquired a legitimate status and it will now be better equipped to launch probiotic movement in the country more vigorously so that the claimed health benefits associated with probiotics and probiotic foods reach the mass Indian population effectively. The creation of PAI at this juncture is timely and quite appropriate in the context of present probiotic scenario in the country and it is a matter of great satisfaction and pride for all the stakeholders involved in probiotic research and product development and marketing that now they have a platform to put forth their case on any policy related issue on the subject forcefully at the government level and hence will be able to protect the interests of all the concerned parties including the industry and the R&D establishments involved in probiotic work, product development and marketing in the country.