Firms Can Now Add Live Microbes to USDA’s Branded Food Products Database
The partners for the USDA Global Branded Food Products Database have made it possible for food manufacturers to contribute information on live dietary microbes to the Database — creating the opportunity to advance new health research.
The Live Dietary Microbes Subcommittee of the IAFNS Gut Microbiome Committee seeks to advance the development of evidence related to the impact of beneficial live microbe intake on health. In fact, some evidence from human microbiome research, randomized controlled trials, and associative studies point to the value of consuming live microbes for health. Critical to better understanding these relationships is clarity on food sources of microbes and the levels of microbes in those foods — to better estimate intake levels.
Food manufacturers can now include information on the amount of beneficial live microbes present in food products, specify the level (low, medium or high) of microbes, and optionally indicate the microbe species. These data will support research by identifying the links between beneficial live dietary microbes and biomarkers of health and health outcomes.
For more information on this opportunity, view the overview webinar here.
Individuals with questions about the USDA’s Global Branded Food Products database may contact us to learn more at: science@iafns.org.