FAQ

What is Sporlac™ that is referenced in many Bacillus coagulans studies?

Sporlac is one of the oldest probiotic products anywhere in the world. It contains Bacillus coagulans SNZ 1969™ and our product has been sold in the pediatric market and is being sold in India for more than 50 years.

Over 8 million prescriptions are generated for the brand Sporlac annually only in India, primarily in the pediatric segment.

Is SNZ1969™ the same as Sporlac?

Sporlac contains Bacillus coagulans SNZ1969™ and has from the very beginning. No strain can match our history of use and our safety profile associated with the strain.

Does Sanzyme Biologics produce all of their own probiotics?

Yes. Sanzyme Biologics produces all of our own probiotics in house in our manufacturing facilities located in Hyderabad, India. All of the technology has been developed indigenously by our dedicated team of scientists who absolutely love probiotics!

Can we use spore formers in food formulations?

The addition of spores to food necessitates the probiotics need to survive all of the harsh processing conditions and be alive and healthy to be delivered post processing. We have developed a variety of stabilization techniques to allow our bacteria to withstand many manufacturing processes making it ideal for incorporation into foods, drinks, and powders.

We are happy to work with you to help you develop your functional foods!

Why should I pick probiotic strains from Sanzyme Biologics?

All probiotic strains are not created equal. A lot of time and effort goes into developing a new strain and we have been doing this for over 50 years. All of our strains are very well characterized, are guaranteed to be stable and have an extensive safety profile associated with the strain.

We ensure all of our strains are:
Properly identified up to a strain level using a combination of phenotypic and genotypic tests
Deposited in an international repository for culture collection with a unique number
Tested extensively to study the potential of the strains, including various benefits that could be conferred by the strains
Have acute and sub chronic toxicity data

Do you allow customers to add your strain number to their label?

Please contact us at probioticexports@sanzymebiologics.com for more information on how you can add our strain name on your label.

I have my own probiotic/enzymes/metabolite, will you be able to exclusively manufacture it for me?

Yes. This is a service that we offer, and are currently doing for some customers all around the world and would be happy to discuss the possibility of developing processes and manufacturing your product. Please contact us a probioticexports@sanzymebiologics.com and someone from our team will be in touch with you.

Are your probiotic strains GRAS?

Our Bacillus Coagulans SNZ 1969™ has been granted GRAS status by the USFDA. In addition our Bacillus Subtilis SNZ 1972 and Bacillus Clausii SNZ 1971 are GRAS.

Can I get probiotics that are suitable for Vegans/Halal/Kosher?

Our Bacillus coagulans SNZ1969™, Bacillus subtilis SNZ1972, Bacillus clausii SNZ1971 and Saccharomyces boulardii are all manufactured to be Kosher, Halal and safe for vegans to consume. The fact that we do in-house fermentation, separation and blending allows us to ensure that allergens / undesirables are not included in the product.

What does CFU means in probiotics?

Commercially, probiotic strains are available in different forms, such as capsules, tablets, powders and liquids. Generally, probiotic potencies are measured in terms of colony forming units (CFU) per gram or ml. It estimates the number of bacteria or fungal cells in a sample which are viable and able to multiply under favourable conditions. It is important to note that only the substantiated health benefits of probiotic strain in the host would only be conferred if they pass over the stomach acid barrier and its low pH. Hence, the capacity of probiotic cells to proliferate in the intestines is the most critical factor rather than the quantity of bacteria or strains listed on the label. Spore-forming probiotics are hardy and have better resistance to stomach and bile pH they survive the passage and grow in the intestine.

What is the significance of CFU in probiotics?

Probiotics are ‘live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host’ (FAO/WHO, 2002). To ensure the effectiveness of probiotic formulation, it is preferable to choose a strain with clinically tested CFU dosage. The minimal effective dose or the level of viable cells of the probiotic strain in terms of cfu/ml/day demonstrates general health promoting functions or well being in target population. National regulations require a minimum number of viable cells present in products, to be able to declare that it contains probiotics or to use a health claim. The minimum requirements vary between 10⁶ and 10⁹ colony forming units (CFU) per g or ml. Generally, in the market we see probiotic formulations with high and low CFU counts. This provides consumers with relevant information on the amount of the effective ingredient available in a probiotic food and or supplement.

In summary, declaring the quantitative amount of probiotics in CFUs correlates with international standards, scientific data, clinical studies, and viability. Furthermore, listing of CFUs optimizes understanding for health care professionals, and provides transparency and clarity for consumers to make an informed choice.

How are the overages calculated for different delivery formats?

Factors such as manufacturing process, packaging, shelf life, composition, handing and serving conditions influence the viability of probiotics in a finished product. Beneficial health effects of probiotics are strain specific and are demonstrated at certain CFUs. In order to maintain the target CFU levels in a finished product, overages are added depending on how harsh the aforesaid factors are. Each product and process are unique, the overages need to be tested and validated. Sanzyme Biologics application team has immense experience in a variety of product matrixes and can support its customers during the product development process.

How are spore forming probiotics are different from vegetative probiotic?

Spore means a resistant state adopted by bacterial cells during adverse conditions. The spore form is like a natural shield which helps bacteria to survive in tough conditions like high temperatures, low pH, stomach acid, bile juice etc.

Spores present in a live, dormant state until they get activated in the intestines. The spore form makes it resistant to gastric fluid and bile. But after surviving the harsh gastric environment, spores will be passed to duodenum and start germinating into a vegetative state where they able to multiply, produce beneficial growth factors, enzymes and other metabolites, promoting the growth of other beneficial bacteria and suppressing the growth of pathogens whereas vegetative probiotics are very fragile, do not survive at higher temperatures and mostly require refrigeration for stability, very few percentages effectively reach to intestine.

Spore-forming probiotics are versatile and can be incorporated in various formats which are subjected to high temperature and pressure, whereas vegetative probiotics have limited a scope of applications.

If we simply understand in terms of CFU (colony forming units) for both types of probiotics – Spore forming probiotics require less CFU count and overage as compared to vegetative strains.