Synbiotics: Defining an Emerging Category
The microbiome market is booming. But confusion around synbiotics is holding innovation back. The Global Prebiotic Association is bringing clarity to a category on the verge of transformation.
The Problem? A Category Without Clarity
Inconsistent Usage
Brands, researchers, and regulators are all working from different definitions, creating confusion across the value chain.
Low Consumer Awareness
The term “synbiotic” is gaining traction, but consumers don’t yet understand what sets it apart from probiotics or prebiotics.
Scientific Ambiguity
Existing definitions don’t account for postbiotics or emerging formulation strategies, leaving innovation in a gray zone.
Our Solution? A Definition Built for Today's Market
Currently, the most commonly cited scientific definition comes from the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP). While scientifically rigorous, this definition emphasizes selective utilization and live organisms, which limits its applicability across broader formulation strategies, specifically those involving postbiotics, other emerging ingredient technologies, and delivery formats.
By contrast, the GPA offers a more inclusive and practical definition that embraces postbiotics, acknowledges complementary mechanisms, and supports performance outcomes—not just clinical health claims.
ISAPP Definition (Scientific Standard)
“A mixture comprising live microorganisms and substrate(s) selectively utilized by host microorganisms that confers a health benefit on the host.”
GPA Definition (Industry-Forward)
“Mixtures of live or inanimate microorganisms co-administered with substrate(s) selectively utilized by either the co-administered microorganism or the host indigenous microorganisms, conferring a health or performance benefit.”
Get the full context and implications in the white paper.
What Makes the GPA
Definition Different?
The GPA definition reflects a broader understanding of how synbiotics are currently being developed, marketed, and studied. It is intentionally inclusive of:
- Postbiotics: Recognizing the real-world presence of non-viable microbes in synbiotic products.
- Complementary and synergistic pathways: Acknowledging both selective fermentation by the host microbiota, but also possible direct interaction between the included microbes and substrates contained in the product.
- A performance-forward lens: Supporting both clinical and functional outcomes, beyond traditional “health benefit” frameworks. We aim to help move the industry toward clearer innovation, cleaner claims, and more consistent communication with this approach.
What You’ll Find in This White Paper:
GPA’s full, working definition of synbiotics
A side-by-side analysis of the ISAPP and GPA perspective
An overview of how postbiotics fit into today’s formulations
Discussion of complementary vs. synergistic combinations
Guidance on how to approach formulation with clarity and scientific integrity
Download the GPA Synbiotics White Paper
Designed for brands, formulators, regulators, and educators looking to navigate this emerging category with confidence, clarity, and transparency.