Why Stability Matters

 

Choosing the right probiotics for your pet products can be a tricky business. Strain matters because there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’.

The stability & viability of probiotic ingredients should also be a key factor in your decision-making. For instance, what works for powdered supplement forms might not work for regular dry kibble or chews. If probiotics deteriorate during the shelf life of your product, you cannot confidently support CFU label guarantees and make probiotic claims.





The World Health Organization defines probiotics as
live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.

Stability has many angles


Probiotic stability is a complex, multi-stage journey, encompassing everything from genetic stability, particularly regarding antimicrobial resistance (AMR), to the endurance of probiotics through various phases like fermentation, formulation, application, and even extending to the shelf-life of the final pet product. Crucially, this stability extends to the point where the probiotics successfully proliferate and function in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of dogs and cats.

Notably, Bacillus microorganisms, with their ability to form protective spores in challenging environments, typically exhibit greater stability than Lactic Acid Bacteria, offering an added layer of resilience.

 


Many factors can affect the health of live probiotics over time. Let's team up to ensure our live probiotics thrive in your pet products.
 
Factors such as fluctuating temperatures, water content, matrix of your product and oxygen levels all have an impact on the stability and viability of probiotics. The relationship between these factors is also critical. A strain may be able to withstand greater fluctuations in temperature if the water content is kept low. 

Packaging and storage can also have an impact. For example, some plastics are surprisingly porous, exposing bacteria to environmental factors.
We told you it was tricky!

 

 

Temperature

Water activity

Oxygen

Formulation

Packaging

Transport and Storage

Learn more about our ProStability Program 


Here at Chr. Hansen, we apply our science-based approach to stability. 

We test the performance of our live probiotics against our ProStability benchmarks before, during application and for over 18 months after. Our tests are carried out in a controlled environment using validated equipment and methods.


This robust data allows us to select and market high-quality pet probiotics that are more resilient to processing and changes in their environment. Strains that are still in the best possible shape 18 months after application (results might depend on your product matrix).

But don’t take our word for it.

Take the stress out of probiotic selection.
Sign up below to a 7-parts newsletter series to learn about probiotic stability and viability and become a probiotics pro and click below to learn the details about ProStability Program.

Explore ProStability Program


 

Sign up to our ProStability Newsletter series and explore every angle of probiotic stability.

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Let’s grow a better world for pets. Naturally.

 We are here to unleash the Power of Good Bacteria™

and help you develop winning products.

 

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