Resources

Cryoprotectants

The Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) manages an International Processing Aids (IPA) Database that includes processing aids listed by technological function, many of which have multiple functions. “Microbial nutrients and microbial nutrient adjuncts” is one of the categories in the database and one of the key functions performed by processing aids in this category is as a cryoprotectant.

What are cryoprotectants?
Cryoprotectants are ingredients that are added before the freezing step of the manufacturing process of live microorganisms to protect them from damage during freezing and freeze-drying.

Processing aids that may be used as cryoprotectants include but are not limited to:

Acacia Gum	Dextrose monohydrate	Microcrystalline Cellulose	Sodium chloride
Acetic acid	Diammonium phosphate	Milk powder	Sodium citrate (Di- & Tri-)
Adenine	Dimethylpolysiloxane	Monoammonium phosphate	Sodium dodecyl sulfate
Alkoxylated fatty acid ester (vegetable)	Dipotassium hydrogen phosphate	Monopotassium Phosphate	Sodium formate
Ammonium chloride	Disodium inosinate	Monosodium glutamate L	Sodium hydroxide
Ammonium citrate, dibasic	Formic acid	Nitrogen, liquid	Sodium lauryl sulfate
Ammonium hydroxide	Fructose	Phosphoric acid	Sodium phosphate, monobasic
Ascorbic acid	Glutamic acid L	Polysorbate 80	Sorbitol
Betaine	Glycerol	Potassium citrate	Soy Lecithin
Calcium ascorbate	Glycine	Potassium hydroxide	Soy Peptone
Calcium carbonate	Inosine	Potato Starch	Starch
Calcium chloride	Inositol (vitamin B8)	Propyle gallate	Sucrose/Saccharose
Calcium phosphate dibasic	Lactose	Rice Flour	Trehalose
Casein enzymatic hydrolysate	Lysine	Rice protein hydrolysate	Trisodium citrate dihydrate
Casein hydrolysate	Magnesium sulfate	Silicon dioxide	Whey (powder)
Casein peptone	Maltitol	Skim milk powder	Whey protein
Citric acid	Maltodextrin	Sodium alginate	Yeast peptone
Corn starch	Maltose (hydrogenated)	Sodium ascorbate/Ascorbic acid	Yeast/Yeast extract
Corn syrup solids	Manganese chloride	Sodium aspartate/Aspartic acid	Zein from corn
Cysteine L	Manganese sulphate monohydrate	Sodium bicarbonate
Cysteine monohydrochloride L	Mannitol	Sodium caseinate

Why do foods contain cryoprotectants?
Cryoprotectants protect certain components of food, such as live microbial dietary ingredients, food cultures, and probiotics, so they are not killed in the process of making the finished food. There is little to no benefit of live microbial dietary ingredients in food if they are dead or destroyed.

Are cryoprotectants safe?
Yes. Cryoprotectants are regulated and approved for use by some government agencies around the world. They meet quality and safety standards recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA).

Lactobacillus Taxonomy

NEW name for some probiotics! What you need to know.

In April 2020, the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology (IJSEM) published a change in how Lactobacillus is classified. Lactobacillus is a very common and popular “friendly” bacteria used as a live microbial dietary ingredient (LMDI) and probiotic that is often found in fermented foods, like yogurt, and in dietary supplements. Prior to the IJSEM announcement, Lactobacillus was comprised of 261 species that have now been reclassified into 25 genera. When reading the name of a LMDI and probiotic, the genus comes first followed by species and strain. For example, Lactobacillus (genus) rhamnosus (species) GG(strain) is a popular strain of bacteria used in dietary supplements.

The choice to make this change was due to the genetic sequence data that suggested the genus Lactobacillus was too broad genetically. The change helps keep the LMDI and probiotic groups more accurate and organized. Only the genus name “Lactobacillus” has changed, not species or strains that are found in the LMDI and probiotic name.

What is changing? The microorganisms used as food cultures and probiotics in your food or dietary supplement will not change, but the label might. This is dependent on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deciding to mandate changes.

Old Name	New Name	Abbreviated Name
Lactobacillus casei	Lacticaseibacillus casei	L. casei
Lactobacillus paracasei	Lacticaseibacillus paracasei	L. paracasei
Lactobacillus rhamnosus	Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus	L. rhamnosus
Lactobacillus plantarum	Lactiplantibacillus plantarum	L. plantarum
Lactobacillus brevis	Levilactobacillus brevis	L. brevis
Lactobacillus salivarius	Ligilactobacillus salivarius	L. salivarius
Lactobacillus fermentum	Limosilactobacillus fermentum	L. fermentum
Lactobacillus reuteri	Limosilactobacillus reuteri	L. reuteri

What is not changing? The following Lactobacillus names will not change:

• Lactobacillus acidophilus
• Lactobacillus gasseri
• Lactobacillus helveticus
• Lactobacillus bulgaricus

More information:

• Taxonomic Subcommittee website
• Check conversion of old and new names
• Probiotics & Cryoprotectants