Probiotic Strains Guide — No Strain Designation, No Notification

October 2, 2026

In shortLactic acid bacteria are bought by strain, not by the name of the organism. Across the 208 notifications for spore-forming lactic acid bacteria, every single one carries a strain designation (SANK70258 in 194, lilac-01 in 10). A material whose name is simply “spore-forming lactic acid bacteria” cannot serve as a notified functional ingredient. And there is a second trap: the genus name of this same organism has changed three times within the notification record — Bacillus → Weizmannia → Heyndrickxia.

208 notifications, none without a strain

Aggregating the Consumer Affairs Agency’s notifications by functional ingredient name gives spore-forming lactic acid bacteria 208 (142 live, 66 withdrawn). Reading the ingredient name on each one, a strain designation appears without exception.

SANK70258 — 194
lilac-01 — 10
Other strains — 4
No strain named — 0

This is what bites first in sourcing. If the material is described only as “spore-forming lactic acid bacteria”, you cannot build a notification on it, because it cannot be identified as the functional ingredient. Check the specification for an explicit strain designation before you order.

In practice it is common for material names to stay at the generic level — “lactic acid bacteria”, “bifidobacteria”. That is fine for a general food, but if a function claim is in view, source with the strain specified from the outset.

The same organism under three genus names

Sorting the notifications by filing date shows the same strain (SANK70258) registered under three different genus names.

Bacillus coagulans — 89 (October 2016 to August 2023)
Weizmannia coagulans — 71 (April 2022 to December 2025)
Heyndrickxia coagulans — 43 (March 2025 to July 2026)

Note that the periods overlap. Bacillus and Weizmannia coexist across 2022–2023, and Weizmannia and Heyndrickxia across 2025. A revised classification does not rewrite existing notifications.

Two practical consequences follow.

Your search misses filings — searching comparables on “Bacillus coagulans” alone returns 89. There are 208. You have to search three times, once per genus name
The specification and the notification disagree on paper — a supplier’s specification may still carry the older genus. If the strain designation (SANK70258) matches, it is the same organism. Do not treat a genus difference alone as a different material

It helps to think of it as the strain being the substance and the genus being a label that can change.

Cell counts differ by orders of magnitude

Counting the content per daily intake reference, the standard separates clearly by organism.

Spore-forming lactic acid bacteria — 100 million cells in 167 notifications (of 208). Then 200 million (11), 1 billion (7)
Bifidobacteria — 2 billion in 59, 10 billion (35), 1 billion (26), 5 billion (25)
Gasseri — 1 billion in 39, 10 billion (26)

Only the spore-formers sit two orders of magnitude lower. That follows from the spore itself: in spore form the organism resists heat and acid, so it survives processing and gastric passage more readily, and fewer cells are designed in.

Read the other way, the formulation assumes that heat resistance. You cannot treat it like any other lactic acid bacterium when the dosage form or process changes. Share your tableting heat and secondary processing temperatures in advance.

For bifidobacteria the strain name is itself the claim

Bifidobacteria hold 276 notifications (134 live, 142 withdrawn) — a withdrawal rate of 51%. Counting the ingredient-name wording shows concentration on particular strains.

Bifidobacterium BB536 — 88
BifiX (B. lactis GCL2505) — 45
MCC1274 (B. breve) — 11

The notified wording runs “this product contains Bifidobacterium BB536. BB536 is reported to improve the intestinal environment…” — the strain name goes straight into the claim text. A strain designation is a specification item and a part of the claim at the same time.

Gasseri behaves the same way: of its 81 notifications, the SP strain (Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055), CP2305 and OLL2716 (LG21) dominate. “Gasseri” as a material name connects to no claim at all.

The food, not just the organism, can be the ingredient

Oligosaccharides and fibres act as prebiotics and can be the notified ingredient in their own right.

Inulin — 286 notifications; 4.5 g is the most common at 78 (covered in the inulin guide)
Galacto-oligosaccharides — 20 notifications; 1 g (5) and 5.0 g (4). The wording runs “increases bifidobacteria and keeps the intestinal environment in good condition”

Some notifications name both an organism and an oligosaccharide. Which one you make the functional ingredient changes both the specification you need and the research review you must assemble. Name both and you need evidence for both.

Watch the unit of cell count as well. Materials are specified as “N cells per gram” while notifications are written as “N cells per daily intake reference”, with the inclusion rate as the factor between them — structurally the same relationship as extract weight and component amount in bilberry.

What to confirm on the specification

Strain designation — an identifier such as SANK70258 or BB536. Without it there is no notification
Which genus revision — an older genus with a matching strain is the same organism. Search comparables under each genus name
Cell count and its unit — per gram or per daily intake reference; guaranteed at end of shelf life or measured at manufacture
Live or heat-killed — a heat-treated material is handled as a different thing from the live organism
Heat resistance — whether spores are formed. Share tableting and secondary processing temperatures
Storage — temperature and humidity; cell counts fall during storage

Discussing your requirement

For specifications, samples or a quotation, use the contact form and include whether a function claim is intended, the target cell count, and the dosage form with its heat conditions. You are welcome to come to us before the strain is decided — once the claim direction is settled, the candidates narrow.

FAQ

Can I file a notification on a material named only “spore-forming lactic acid bacteria”?

No. All 208 notifications carry a strain designation (SANK70258 in 194, lilac-01 in 10); none lack one. Without it the functional ingredient cannot be identified. Use in a general food is of course possible.

The specification shows an older genus name. Is it a different organism?

If the strain designation matches, it is the same organism. The notification record itself registers the same strain as Bacillus coagulans (89), Weizmannia coagulans (71) and Heyndrickxia coagulans (43), with overlapping periods. The strain is the substance; the genus is a label that can change.

My search for comparable notifications returns very few.

You are probably searching by genus. “Bacillus coagulans” alone returns 89, but there are 208. Search three times, once per genus name.

Why is the cell count so much lower for spore-formers?

100 million cells is the standard, in 167 of 208 notifications — two orders of magnitude below bifidobacteria (2 billion) and gasseri (1 billion). Spores resist heat and acid and survive processing and gastric passage. The flip side is that the design assumes that resistance, so changes to heat conditions need care.

At what point is the cell count measured?

Confirm on the specification. A figure measured at manufacture means something different from one guaranteed at end of shelf life. Note also that materials are specified per gram while notifications are per daily intake reference, with the inclusion rate between them.

Should the organism or the oligosaccharide be the functional ingredient?

It depends on your aim. Galacto-oligosaccharides have 20 notifications with wording about increasing bifidobacteria; inulin has 286. If you name both, you need evidence for both.