2026-06 Prebiotics: Scientific Criteria and Regulatory Considerations

EU Specialty Food Ingredients is pleased to support World Microbiome Day, celebrated every year on 27^th June.

The human gut microbiome plays an important role not only in digestion, but in many other aspects of wellbeing and health. There are several groups of specialty food ingredients which contribute to balanced gut health. Besides probiotics, which are probably the most know specialty food ingredients in relation to gut microbiome, prebiotic substances play a crucial role in supporting a healthy microbiome, contributing to improving overall health through microbiota modulation.

To mark this occasion, EU Specialty Food Ingredients is pleased to publish its new paper, “Prebiotics: Scientific Criteria and Regulatory Considerations”, developed by a dedicated Working Group established under the Association’s Nutrition Committee. By endorsing the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) definition of a prebiotic, this paper aims to clarify the scientific criteria included in ISAPP definition to identify prebiotic substances, presents the available scientific evidence supporting their health benefits, and examines the current regulatory landscape in Europe.