The paper explores how the deeper understanding of the microbiome and its numerous impacts on health have boosted research into potential new prebiotics from a variety of sources, including plants, upcycled byproducts and novel sources like insects and fungi, and the opportunities for targeted microbiome modulation approaches.
“More prebiotics with different functionalities are needed to expand the field for additional applications. All candidates must meet the criteria that define prebiotics,” wrote Sandra Saville, Dr. Jessica Younes and George Paraskevakos from the International Probiotics Association (which announced an expansion in its scope in 2023 to include prebiotics, among other categories), and Dr. Koen Venema from the Beneficial Microbes Consultancy.
“Better scientific studies and more studies will help to accelerate both innovation and investment, and the development of comprehensive and robust scientific data will support regulatory approval.”
Misconceptions
The paper also discusses the many misconceptions around prebiotics, such as “all prebiotics are the same”, “all prebiotics are fibers”, “higher doses are better” and “prebiotics only support digestive health”, for example.
In all, the authors list 10 different misconceptions, which they note have become “rampant across multiple communication sources largely in part due to the misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the definition of prebiotic compounds and their effects”.
Definitions
The paper notes that there have been numerous definitions for prebiotics over the years since the term was coined by Professor Glenn Gibson and Professor Marcel Roberfroid in 1995.
These include definitions from a 2008 FAO Technical Meeting on Prebiotics (“A prebiotic is a non-viable food component that confers a health benefit on the host associated with modulation of the microbiota”), the World Gastroenterology Organisation (WGO) Practice Guideline Probiotics and Prebiotics in 2017 (“A selectively fermented ingredient that results in specific changes in the composition and/or activity of the gastrointestinal microbiota, thus conferring benefit(s) upon host health”), a 2017 consensus definition from the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (“A substrate that is selectively utilised by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit”) and ILSI in 2024 (“A food ingredient that selectively stimulates growth and/or the activity of microbial species inhabiting the host, which may bring about health benefits”).
“While many scientists have proposed definitions for prebiotics, and there have been attempts by selected scientists to develop a ‘consensus definition’, the fact remains that globally, scientists, manufacturers and marketers have adopted different definitions to suit their own interests and purposes, leading to confusion among consumers and health care professionals,” wrote Saville et al.
“The pathway to regulatory acceptance and to reduce/eliminate confusion is a definition that puts the focus on the consumer, and the benefits that consumers can realise from consumption of prebiotics.”
Commenting on the paper, George Paraskevakos, IPA’s executive director and co-author of the paper, stated in a press release: “The evolving understanding of the microbiome offers immense potential to leverage prebiotics for improving consumer health. However, unlocking these benefits requires addressing the regulatory and technical challenges that persist.
“Complementing academic papers that provide a solid scientific foundation, this paper provides an industry perspective with practical, translational guidelines. Our goal is to establish a clear, science-based framework for classifying prebiotics, ensuring their safe and effective use, and creating a pathway for broader regulatory acceptance and industry application, which was the basis in our thinking for this paper.”
Future directions
IPA is planning additional papers on prebiotics with topics reported to include commercial scale manufacturing, the impact of type and structure on the microbiota and their corresponding health benefits, and “an in-depth analysis of the regulatory status of prebiotics in different jurisdictions, including considerations and opportunities for a harmonised approach to prebiotic regulation.”
Source: Beneficial Microbes 2025;16(1):1-33. doi: 10.1163/18762891-bja00056, “The prebiotic landscape: history, health and physiological benefits, and regulatory challenges – an IPA perspective part 1”, Authors: S.H. Saville, et al.
