Nebraska Cultures Responds to FTC/Dannon Probiotic Dispute

Probiotic industry specialists are hoping that the FTC’s recent dispute with Dannon (White Plains, NY) over probiotic label claims will not devalue the sound science that exists within the field of probiotic science.

Dannon agreed to pull claims from its Activia yogurt and DanActive dairy drink earlier this month after the FTC took issue with claims relating to the ability to relieve digestive “irregularity” (Activia) and the prevention of cold and flu (DanActive).

Michael Shahani, director of operations for Nebraska Cultures, had this to say about the state of probiotic science and modern nutrition:

“With Dannon’s recent $21 million settlement for Activia with the FTC, I think that it’s important to stress that there are real and important benefits from probiotics. My father, Dr. Khem Shahani, who was a pioneer in the field of probiotics and is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on probiotics and their role in digestive health, did research showing that probiotics have the potential to alleviate a number of digestive aliments. Yogurt is not the best method to ingest probiotics because you’d need to eat an efficacious dose of yogurt to benefit from them-and many yogurts are high in fat and sugars.  Supplements made with freeze-dried probiotics are a much more efficient and cost-effective method to gain the numerous benefits of probiotics.”