“We want to bring clarity to a complex world,” Paraskevakos told us. “We see it [the need for clarity] at every level. Not just the science but talk of definitions. No clarity does not allow us to measure a market.
“Think about postbiotics and prebiotics: Various people use various definitions for those categories. So, if you want to create a meta-analysis to show government agencies that these products work, and here’s the studies to back it, but what’s within that category? What type of ingredients? It’s very hard to bring together proper data to convince stakeholders, government agencies, healthcare professionals that these products work.”
One important thing to note is that the organization will not be changing its name. “The IPA has been around since 1999. We’ve been incorporated as a non-profit 501(c) in the US since 1999. That’s older than the WHO/FAO definition of probiotics,” he said.
Infants and pets, too
In addition to adding postbiotics and prebiotics, IPA will also be taking on infant supplements (not formula), and companion animals.
“Companion animals is a white space right now,” said Paraskevakos. “Everyone’s jumping into that game, but from an organism perspective it’s going to be an interesting geography to navigate.”
Paraskevakos also commented on IPA’s lifetime achievement award for Jarrow Rogovin, who first incorporated the IPA in California in 1999.
Watch the video for the full interview.
