Probiotics: Safety Assessment

Several studies examined the intake of high doses of probiotics over a long period of time.

To date, no side effects have been identified with probiotic ingestion. Even at doses equivalent to 1,000 times the normal intake, no associations between infections that occurred and probiotic intake were identified.

The Federal Institute for Consumer Health Protection and Veterinary Medicine (BGVV) also published a statement on the health evaluation of isolated bacterial strains as concentrated probiotic foods/food supplements. According to the BGVV, the classification as “safe” or “unsafe” for many lactic acid bacteria depends on the particular genetic makeup of the strain in question and thus cannot be attributed to the species as a whole.