Mia
Whether you are a livestock food manufacturer, veterinarian or an employee at a waste management or water treatment facility, there is a good chance that you have heard about the Bacillus Subtilis Fermentation Product. It is a commonly mentioned probiotic but there are certain questions associated with it.
For starters, the refrigeration question looms large over all of this. It is important for all of the aforementioned clients to take a closer look at their probiotics and follow the proper protocols. To learn more about Bacillus Subtilis and whether it requires refrigeration, be sure to read on….
Do Probiotics Require Refrigeration?
This is not a simple yes or no answer. In most instances, it is going to depend on a number of other factors. The ingredients’ panel needs to be examined, first and foremost. This will tell us whether we are making the right decision.
Generally, you will be placing shelf-stable and room temperature stable probiotics in the fridge. There are some variants that do not to be placed in these temperatures, though. That’s why it is important for livestock food manufacturers, veterinarians and waste management employees to do the necessary research ahead of time.
Does Bacillus Subtilis Need To Be Refrigerated?
Bacillus Subtilis is among the probiotics that do not need to be refrigerated. Why is this? The reasoning is simple to understand. It is easy to see why people would be worried. After all, probiotics are living organisms, and they need to be protected.
When it comes to Bacillus Subtilis, the fridge can be bypassed because it will not perish if it is allowed to rest on the shelf. Other probiotics will not be able to survive these conditions, but Bacillus Subtilis is not among them.
Bacillus Subtilis is a spore forming probiotic. Because of its ability to withstand more extreme conditions, none of the aforementioned employees have to worry about shelf storage-related concerns. Shelf-stable strains are the way to go for those who are worried about fridge space.
When Do Probiotics Require Refrigeration?
Knowing when probiotics require refrigeration is just as important as knowing when to keep them on the shelf. In most cases, they should be placed in the fridge as soon as possible because this simple step will maximize their potency. When these products are exposed to the air, this may seem harmless enough, but it is not recommended.
All it takes is a bit of humidity in the air to reactivate the probiotics in a premature manner. Once this process has begun, there is nothing that can be done to reverse it. The preservation process that took place during the manufacturing stages will be undone completely.
The packaging and capsules will help to an extent. They keep the moisture out, but they do not function in an airtight manner. By placing the probiotics in the fridge, metabolic and degradation processes are slowed down. This ensures that the probiotics are kept safe until it is time for them to start growing inside the gut.
Ensuring Probiotic Stability
Whether probiotics have protective mechanisms or not, there are a few different ways to ensure probiotic stability. While products that lack protective mechanisms should be placed in the fridge right after they are opened, the following techniques will continue the proper level of stability for probiotics before they are finally consumed.
Freeze Dried Probiotics vs Spray Dried
This is a crucial distinction to be made. If the probiotic is being freeze-dried, this means that it is going to be frozen and moisture will be removed underneath a vacuum. This process is considered to be preferable to spray drying.
That’s because probiotics that are spray dried are exposed to wilder extremes when it comes to moisture. The spray drying process also exposes the probiotics in question to a higher temperature. Since the avoidance of extremes is a key aspect of probiotic maintenance, it is easy to see why freeze-drying is chosen in most instances.
Microencapsulation
This concept may seem complicated but in reality? This process is very easily understood for anyone who is looking to avoid the usual pitfalls that are associated with probiotic maintenance. The materials that are used during the microencapsulation process serve as a protective shield of sorts for the probiotic.
They form a scaffolding that provides maximum safety and ensures the highest possible level of functionality over the long haul. Once the probiotics have already been freeze-dried, this is the best step to take. This significantly increases the viability of any probiotics that the client plans on storing at room temperature.
Co-encapsulation
Not to be confused with micro encapsulation, co-encapsulation refers to the packaging process that takes place once the previous steps have been completed. This act of packaging is crucial for probiotics, as it allows them to survive over the long haul and remain more viable.
According to scientific studies, probiotics benefit immensely from being co-encapsulated. For best results, fiber, cryoprotectants such as trehalose, and/or milk medium are utilized in these instances. These items are all beneficial and proven to extend the lifespan of probiotics. Without co-encapsulation, shelf life is decreased significantly.
Expert Advice Is Available
When it comes time to ensure the highest level of quality for farm mix, feed premix or industrial enzyme formulation, clients should be calling on the experts. This is where the good folks at American Biosystems come into play. Their team of professionals is able to offer up the sage advice that livestock food manufacturers, veterinarians, waste management employees and water treatment employees need most.
The ingredients that are provided by American Biosystems are precisely tailored to the specific needs of the client as well. A wide range of factors is considered, including enzyme strength, specificity, origin, and shelf life. Since the enzyme marketplace does not have a sizable amount of standardization to help clients along during the process, it is important to entrust these decisions to the professionals. American Biosystems provides competitive analysis and details of their analytical procedures.
