Document is current

Article History

Accepted: 29 January 2026

First Online: 18 February 2026

Competing interests

: M.L.M. is a member of the board of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, a non-paid voluntary position. She serves on the scientific advisory board for NURA USA and Cosun. M.C. serves as Executive Director for the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics and has previously been employed by manufacturers and distributors of probiotic and nutritional products. G.C. has received honoraria from Janssen, Probi, Apsen, Heel Pharmaceuticals and Boehringer Ingelheim as an invited speaker; is in receipt of research funding from Pharmavite, Fonterra, Reckitt, Tate and Lyle and Nestle; and is or has been a paid consultant for Yakult, Heel Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Healthcare and Zentiva; this support neither influenced nor constrained the contents of this review. N.D. has been a member of the scientific advisory board and consultant for Danone and Cosun; she worked with industrial partners in the context of European research consortia, including Mondelez, Kitozyme and Cargill. J.D.L. consulted or served on an advisory board or data monitoring committee for Amgen, Arena Pharmaceuticals, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Eli Lilly and Company, Galapagos, Gilead, Janssen Pharmaceuticals (Johnson & Johnson), Merck, Odyssey Therapeutics, Pfizer, Protagonist Therapeutics, Sanofi and Spyre Pharmaceuticals; he has had research funding or in-kind support from Nestlé Health Science, Takeda, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, AbbVie and Eli Lilly and Company; he has had educational grants from Janssen; he has performed legal work on behalf of manufacturers of generic ranitidine and 3M; and he owns stock in Dark Canyon Labs. D.M. has provided submissions for legal proceedings on behalf of VSL#3 and Golo Health; and is a member of the board of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, a non-paid voluntary position. P.W.O’T. has active research funded by Fonterra New Zealand and the US Highbush Blueberry Council; he is a co-founder of Carabia, a University College Cork campus company developing products for healthy ageing. H.M.S. is currently funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (APP2018118); and has previously received research funding from the British Dietetic Association, Microba, the Rome Foundation and DSM Pharmaceuticals; and non-financial support from VSL pharmaceuticals. H.S. serves as a board member of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, a role which is unpaid and voluntary; she has participated as a clinical investigator, advisory board member, consultant and speaker for several companies, including Arla, BioGaia, Biocodex, Danone, Dicofarm, Nestlé, NNI, Nutricia, Mead Johnson, Novalac and Winclove. J.M.W. has previously received research funding from Nestec, Nutrileads, Cortecs and Chr.Hansen; and has acted in an advisory capacity for Yakult, Nestec and Nutrileads. E.M.M.Q. serves as a consultant to Atmo Biosciences, Biomerica, Nimble Science, Novonesis and Vibrant; is a member of the board of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics, a non-paid voluntary position; and has received research support from 4D Pharma, Atmo Biosciences, Biomerica, Nimble Science, Novonesis, Takeda and Vibrant. S.C.B. and M.M. declare no competing interests.

Free to read: This content has been made available to all.