New non-GMO probiotic a breakthrough for milk production and infant health
Published: August 6, 2021
Category: Non-GMO News
Researchers from University of Helsinki, Finland have succeeded in enabling a well-known probiotic to grow naturally in milk without the use of gene editing.
The Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG, or LGG bacteria, has been used to treat issues including infant intestinal problems. But because it cannot use lactose and cannot break down the milk protein casein, it has had to be added separately to produce probiotic dairy products.
Though GM processes have attempted to make LGG adapt better to milk, researchers have now found a non-GMO way to do it. Conjugation is employed, where a bacterium produces a copy of its plasmid (a ring-shaped piece of DNA) and transfers the plasmid to an adjacent bacterium. The spread of plasmids, which carry traits useful for bacteria, can be rapid among bacterial communities.
“The new LGG strain is not genetically modified, which makes it possible to consume it and any products containing it without any permit procedures,” said the project leader, Professor of Microbiology at University of Helsinki.
The probiotic concentration accumulates in the production stage, so it need not be added to the final products. It might even be able to grow in the infant gut, producing more lactic acid which protects against E. coli and salmonella and other threats to infant health.
Researchers from the National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, Pakistan, were also involved in the project.
Source: Food Processing
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Organic & Non-GMO Insights August 2021
