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Background <p>The global market for dietary supplements and probiotic products has expanded rapidly in recent years, raising concerns regarding product quality, regulatory compliance and consumer safety. As probiotic benefits depend on maintaining adequate viable microbial counts throughout shelf life, this study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of product labelling with respect to labelled viable counts and strain composition. Therefore, a total of 28 commercially available probiotic products in various formulations, including capsules, suspensions, powders, drops, chocolate bars, and chewable tablets, were analysed. Colony-forming units (CFU) counts were determined by standard plate counting, while microbial composition was assessed using DNA-based 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing.</p> Results <p>46.43% of the commercial probiotics tested exhibited CFU counts lower than the labelled values, including two chocolate bars, two powders, one suspension, one drop formulation, and seven freeze-dried capsule products. However, the greatest discrepancy was observed in both chocolate products (#3, #4), where the reduction exceeded 1.5 log(CFU) compared to the labelled counts. DNA analysis confirmed the presence of most labelled species; however, products containing more than three strains showed discrepancies from the label. Furthermore, outdated strain names were used on the labels of several products, highlighting the need to align them with current taxonomic standards.</p> Conclusion <p>The findings reveal considerable inconsistencies between labelled and actual microbial content in a substantial proportion of commercial probiotic products. These discrepancies, underscore the need for improved quality control, accurate labelling practices and stronger regulatory oversight to ensure consumer safety and compliance with current scientific and regulatory standards.</p>

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Label accuracy of commercial probiotics—CFU enumeration and microbial composition

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月9日

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  • Nina Čuljak,
  • Ivana Repić,
  • Iva Čanak,
  • Ksenija Markov,
  • Vedrana Aljinović-Vučić,
  • Ivana Konta,
  • Jadranka Frece

摘要

Background

The global market for dietary supplements and probiotic products has expanded rapidly in recent years, raising concerns regarding product quality, regulatory compliance and consumer safety. As probiotic benefits depend on maintaining adequate viable microbial counts throughout shelf life, this study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of product labelling with respect to labelled viable counts and strain composition. Therefore, a total of 28 commercially available probiotic products in various formulations, including capsules, suspensions, powders, drops, chocolate bars, and chewable tablets, were analysed. Colony-forming units (CFU) counts were determined by standard plate counting, while microbial composition was assessed using DNA-based 16S rRNA and ITS sequencing.

Results

46.43% of the commercial probiotics tested exhibited CFU counts lower than the labelled values, including two chocolate bars, two powders, one suspension, one drop formulation, and seven freeze-dried capsule products. However, the greatest discrepancy was observed in both chocolate products (#3, #4), where the reduction exceeded 1.5 log(CFU) compared to the labelled counts. DNA analysis confirmed the presence of most labelled species; however, products containing more than three strains showed discrepancies from the label. Furthermore, outdated strain names were used on the labels of several products, highlighting the need to align them with current taxonomic standards.

Conclusion

The findings reveal considerable inconsistencies between labelled and actual microbial content in a substantial proportion of commercial probiotic products. These discrepancies, underscore the need for improved quality control, accurate labelling practices and stronger regulatory oversight to ensure consumer safety and compliance with current scientific and regulatory standards.