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Clarification of terminology

I think this page would benefit from revisions to ensure that it aligns with established definitions of fermented foods, postbiotics, and probiotics. This post aims to reduce some confusion caused by the overlapping terms.

Fermented foods are defined as "foods made through desired microbial growth and enzymatic conversions of food components" (PMID: 33398112). This includes any food that is made through fermentation regardless of the strain used or whether the microorganism remains alive at consumption. Examples of fermented foods include yoghurt, kefir, sourdough bread, beer, and soybean paste. Fermented foods is an umbrella category that can include products containing postbiotics/parabiotics and probiotics.

Postbiotics are defined as "preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host" (PMID: 33948025). In the context of foods, this means that if microbial products such as metabolites or cell fragments remain after processing, but not necessarily the live microbe itself, the food item contains postbiotics. Examples of food products with postbiotics include sourdough bread, miso, tempeh, yoghurt, and kefir, as long as the microbial products remain after cooking/processing. To clarify, the food itself is not a postbiotic; the term refers only to the microbial components present.

A related term, parabiotics, which is defined as "non-viable microbial cells (intact or broken) or crude cell extracts (i.e. with complex chemical composition), which, when administered (orally or topically) in adequate amounts, confer a benefit on the human or animal consumer" (PMID: 21499799). The distinction between postbiotics and parabiotics is still debated as the concepts overlap considerably.

Probiotics are defined as "live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host" (PMID 24912386). The food item itself (e.g. yoghurt) is not a probiotic, but rather a probiotic product. Because probiotics require the microorganisms to be alive, any product that is heated after fermentation cannot be considered probiotic (e.g. sourdough bread and cooked sauerkraut). In addition, probiotics require defined microbial strains, which excludes traditionally fermented foods produced without identifying cultures (e.g. typical homemade sauerkraut with just salt, cabbage, and water). Probiotics may also be added to foods after fermentation, but the quantity must be sufficient to deliver a health benefit. Overall, while fermented foods can contain probiotics, only those with viable, adequate quantity, and defined strains qualify as probiotic products.

If anyone has any questions, I am happy to clarify, discuss, or research the topic. Bibere vinum (talk) 14:10, 20 November 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Replace promotional image

The image of commercial product Yakult, right at the top of the wiki page is trying to promote a product. I don't know whether it is accidental or deliberate corporate washing. ~2026-22657-93 (talk) 02:05, 13 April 2026 (UTC)[reply]

Agree and

Fixed with a neutral yogurt image in Special:Diff/1348531198. Zefr (talk) 04:28, 13 April 2026 (UTC)[reply]