Chapter 2 - Legislation of probiotic foods and supplements

Probiotics are used in foods and food supplements with the purpose to give a health benefit to the consumers. Consequently, laws and regulations aimed to guarantee the safety, quality, and efficacy of these products are essential for consumer protection. Despite this, differences in regulations on probiotics, including labeling specifications and the required scientific evidence for the health claim substantiation, occur worldwide with a general lack of harmonization. In particular, in Europe, European Union (EU) regulations exist but specific national regulations are also established. In America, the United States and Canada have set up their regulatory frameworks and in Latin America legislation on probiotics differs among the several states composing this part of the continent. Lastly, as regards the Asia Pacific, this chapter focuses on Australia, China and Japan regulations giving also information on the Japanese FOSHU (Foods for Specified Health Use) and FFC (Foods with Function Claims) systems.