Chocolate as a probiotic carrier food - a review

Abstract

Probiotics are live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. Probiotics have been used for centuries in fermented dairy products. However, the potential applications of probiotics in non-dairy food products have not received formal recognition. In recent times, there has been an increased interest in food applications of probiotics, the selection of new probiotic strains and the design, and development of a new delivery vehicle for probiotics has gained much importance. This study reviews the new products except for dairy ones, such as chocolate as a delivery vehicle for probiotics. Copyright ? 2016 by New Century Health Publishers, LLC