This one-of-a-kind webinar brings together experts from academia, consumer education, and product development to talk about what the future will bring for the microbiome and how it will impact each of the respective areas.
For centuries, live microbes have been consumed as part of the human diet through raw and fermented foods and are increasingly recognized for their positive contribution to human health. Research on probiotics and the microbiome has boomed over the past 3 decades, finding more links to different aspects of human health like immunity, mood, cognition, and weight management.
However, despite rapid growth in food and beverage markets like kombucha or foods containing probiotics, intake of foods containing live microbes is low in many parts of the world.
Is the science linking intake of live microbes to human health strong enough to see a formal daily recommendation for their consumption in the future? How would that impact the consumer and food industry landscape?
In this webinar, our experts discuss;
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- A summary of the science that has sparked conversations on whether there should be a formal daily recommendation on live microbe intake, and how far along that discussion is today.
- A dietitian’s perspective on current areas of confusion for consumers around probiotics and fermented foods today, and opportunities that including microbes as part of dietary recommendations would bring for practicing health professionals and consumer health.
- Steps the industry should take to bring microbiome research to life in consumer foods, beverages, and supplements.
Watch the full recording
Our experts
Dr. Maria Marco, Professor of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis
Maria Marco, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology and Chair of the Food Science Graduate Group at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Marco has 20 years’ experience and over 100 peer-reviewed publications investigating fermented foods, probiotics, and intestinal microbiology. Her laboratory at UC Davis is broadly engaged in the study of food and intestinal microbiomes and the ecology and genetics of lactic acid bacteria. Dr. Marco is a sought out speaker and received the Distinguished Lecturer Award from the American Society for Microbiology. She is currently the Vice-President of the Board of Directors for the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics and is serving as a Scientific Advisor for the Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute.
Desiree Nielsen, Registered Dietitian
Desiree Nielsen is a registered dietitian based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is the author of the best-selling cookbooks Good For Your Gut and Eat More Plants and the host of an evidence-informed wellness podcast called The Allsorts Podcast. Desiree owns a nutrition practice with a focus on plant-based nutrition, digestive health and chronic inflammatory disease. A trusted source for evidence-informed and effective nutrition communications, Desiree has been educating consumers and health professionals on the role of the gut microbiome and probiotics in human nutrition for over a decade.
Dr. Mathieu Millette, Scientific Director, Bio-K+ Kerry
Mathieu Millette, PhD is a seasoned microbiologist, lecturer and scientific director for Bio-K Plus International, a Kerry company. He leads a team of talented scientists dedicated to elucidate the mechanisms of action of probiotic bacteria and to understand the interactions between beneficial microorganisms, the gut microbiome and the immune system. Mathieu is also associate Professor at INRS-IAF and an active member of the Association of Microbiologists of Quebec. Dr. Millette is author and co-author of over 45 peer-reviewed publications or book chapters and is the inventor of 3 patented applications.
