Moves to towards identification of health parameters following prebiotic ingestion is paramount. Most recent attention has been directed towards the metabolic syndrome and associated disorders. These are extremely promising avenues of research, with the probability of long-term weight management trials in prospect. Should this be successful, then there are major implication for general consumer healthcare. Other beneficial aspects have been briefly discussed here, with inhibition of gut pathogenesis being a common theme. Finally, it is imperative that any prebiotic effects that occur with a supplement like GOS or fructans is further confirmed in the final delivery system. It is a concern that prebiotics are being added to many food vehicles under the assumption, without proof, that they will still behave as such.