Formulation, administration, and delivery of probiotics

![CDATA[Modern consumers are increasingly interested in their personal health and expect the food they eat to be healthy or even capable of preventing illness. Foods are no longer considered by consumers solely in terms of taste and immediate nutritional needs, but also in terms of their ability to provide specific benefits above and beyond their basic nutritional value. Functional foods targetted towards gut health currently provide the largest segment of the functional food market in Europe, Japan, and Australia (Hilliam and Young, 2000; Heasman and Mellentin, 2001). The recognition of cultured dairy foods with probiotic bacteria as functional foods that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition and the emerging clinical evidence of their potential in preventing certain diseases have boosted their consumption.]]