Probiotic prizes to France and the UK

Probiotics for food safety

The prize for Scientific Excellence was delivered to Ms Cécile Verdier, for her Masters’ project conducted at the French’s Agronomical Research Institute (INRA) on the potential of probiotic in the prevention of foodborne E. coli infection. Verdier’s work showed that a specific probiotic was able to protect infected mice used as an animal model from EHEC infection. Clinical and histological signs were reduced, as well as intestinal colonisation by the pathogen. Moreover, the probiotic modulated the expression of pro-inflammatory molecules.

Probiotics in salmon nutrition

The prize for Innovative Industrial Application was delivered to Ms Marie Smedley for her PhD project conducted at the University of Stirling (UK) on probiotic application for salmon nutrition, showing that probiotics can help limit skeletal deformities in fish. This is the first study to investigate the use of probiotics in triploid fish and results show that the probiotic appears to offer a potential alternative to high dietary phosphorus in reducing skeletal deformity during salmon development. This has provided new insight into the use of probiotics to valorize aquaculture products and may offer a cheaper and more environmentally friendly nutritional solution to skeletal deformities in aquaculture.

Potential of probiotics applications

Dr Gérard Bertin, Secretary General of EPA commented: “This is always an interesting time for the industry, demonstrating that the potential of probiotics applications is still partially untapped. While the regulation in Europe mainly deals with performance enhancement, research is a few steps ahead as we can see from the scope of projects we received: studies on digestive performance, but also digestive health (Helicobacter pylori infection), food safety (E. coli control), aquaculture (skeletal conformity), as well as applications in tropical and extensive type dairy cattle (such as buffaloes) and novel potential applications to address the issues of tomorrow such as antibiotic replacement. This year we decided to award both scientific excellence, linked to research invention, and potential industrial application, linked to innovation and new market developments”

The Jules Tournut Probiotics Prize aims at rewarding young researchers for their innovative and significant contribution to probiotic research in animal nutrition.