The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation on Evaluation of Health and Nutritional
Properties of Probiotics in Food held in Córdoba, Argentina from 1-4 October, 2001
recognized that there is a need for guidelines to set out a systematic approach for the
evaluation of probiotics in food leading to the substantiation of health claims.
Consequently, a Working Group was convened by FAO/WHO to generate guidelines and
recommend criteria and methodology for the evaluation of probiotics, and to identify and
define what data need to be available to accurately substantiate health claims. The aims
of the Working Group were to identify and outline the minimum requirements needed for
probiotic status. Consequently, guidelines were prepared to meet this objective.