Bacterial C olonies in three Different Brands of Yogurt

1. Bacterial Colonies in three Different Brands of Yogurt Morgan Ashley and Gavrielle Filanova

2. What are probiotics? • Gram positive bacteria included primarily in two genera: Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium • “Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”-World Health Organization • Eli Metchnikoff, the Russian born Nobel Prize recipient (1908) working at the Pasteur Institute wasthe first to observe the positive role played by some selected bacteria • "The dependence of the intestinal microbes on the food makes it possible to adopt measures to modify the flora in our bodies and to replacethe harmful microbes by useful microbes" –Eli Metchnikoff

3. Probiotics in Food • For use in foods, probiotic microorganisms should: • Be capable of surviving passage through the digestive tract & have the capability to proliferate in the gut • This means they must be resistant to gastric juices and be able to grow in the presence of bile & under conditions in the intestinesOR • Be consumed in a food vehicle that allows them to survive passage through the stomach and exposure to bile.

4. Health benefits of probiotics • Probiotics play very importantroles in regulating proper intestinal function and digestion by balancingintestinalmicroflora • Current probiotic research is beingconducted on on the gut microbiome’simplications on digestion, immunity, brain function, and restoration of healthy gut bacteria depleted by antibiotics • Infants and children with viral gastroenteritis seem to derive the most benefit from probiotics

5. Who here consumes yogurt? What factors do you consider when purchasing yogurt? • Price? • Advertisement of quality & health benefits? (protein& probiotic content) • Brand names?

6. Do you get what you pay for?

7. Our Question & Hypothesis • Q= Is there a difference in bacteria counts between three different brands of yogurt? • H- There will be a difference in the number/ density of bacteria between three different yogurt brands.

8. The Three Brands • 1= Activia • 2= Price Chopper (generic brand) • 3= Chobani

9. The Experiment: Materials • 15 Agar plates were poured • Divided into 3 groups; 5 plates for each yogurt brand • Three 99 mL bottles of distilled water • 0.01 mL of each brand of yogurt

10. The Experiment: Methods • 0.01mL of each yogurt was pipetted into 99mLs distilled water • The glass bottles of diluted yogurt were shaken well

11. The Experiment: Methods • 0.1mL of diluted yogurt was pipetted onto each agar plate and spread throughout using an “L” shaped glass cell spreader • In between each transfer of diluted yogurt, the glass cell spreader was sterilized using acetone and a flame

12. The Experiment: Methods • The plates were incubated at 25°C for 5 days • The CFUs were counted using a counting pen

13. Results The o.oo1 significance indicates that there is a significant difference between the brands of yogurt, and the odds that our findings occurred by change are very low.

14. Colony Forming Units of Bacteria in Activia, Price Chopper Brand, and Chobani Yogurt

15. Conclusions • Statistically significant differences in CFUs include the differences between: Activia vs. Chobani & Activia vs. Price Chopper Brand • The difference in CFUs between Price Chopper Brand vs. Chobani was not found the be statistically significant • Activia was found to have the lowest bacteria count • Price Chopper brand was found to have the highest bacteria count

16. You may not always get what you pay for! • Activia price: ___ oz yogurt costs – cost per oz • Chobani price: ___ oz of yogut costs – cost per oz • Price Chopper brand price: __ oz of yogurt costs – cost per oz

17. Activia Lawsuit • In February, 2010 a class action settlement reached in federal court ruled that Dannonmust pay consumers up to $45 million in damages for exaggerated health claims • Under terms of the settlement, Dannon mustremove the words "clinically" and "scientifically proven" from product labels and advertisements of Activiayogurt • In their place, the words "clinical studies show," or something similar, must be substituted. • "This was a disingenuous advertising campaign that promised something that hasn't been proven," Dr. RoshiniRajapaksa,, a gastroenterologist, told ABC News. • "Dannon stands by its advertising and denies it did anything wrong.”

18. References • World Health Organization &Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Report of a joint fao/who expert consultation on evaluation of health and nutritional properties of probiotics in food including powder milk with live lactic acid bacteria. (2001, October). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/fs_management/en/probiotics.pdf • McMullen, T. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Business/dannon-settles-lawsuit/story?id=9950269