ArticleJournal of animal science2020
Assessment of commercial companion animal kefir products for label accuracy of microbial composition and quantity.
Article in Journal of animal science, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Potential of Kefir-Derived Peptides, Probiotics, and Exopolysaccharides for Osteoporosis Management.Current osteoporosis reports · 2025Review
- In vitro fermentation characteristics of dietary fibers using fecal inoculum from dogs consuming commercial or grain kefir.Journal of animal science · 2025Article
- Inaccurate labelling practices in probiotic products: A regulatory shortfall in Accra, Ghana.PloS one · 2025Article
- Microbiological Testing of Probiotic Preparations.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Review
- Perspectives and advances in probiotics and the gut microbiome in companion animals.Journal of animal science and technology · 2022Review
- A qRT-PCR Method Capable of Quantifying Specific Microorganisms Compared to NGS-Based Metagenome Profiling Data.Microorganisms · 2022Article
- Commercial kefir products assessed for label accuracy of microbial composition and density.JDS communications · 2021Article
- Utilizing Probiotics for the Prevention and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Diseases.Frontiers in microbiology · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Kefir is a fermented beverage containing yeast and bacteria produced by the fermentation of water or milk with kefir grains. Lack of regulation for probiotic-containing fermented food sold for companion dogs and cats creates the potential for misreporting on viable microbial counts, taxonomy, and label claims. In this study, the microbiota of six companion animal kefir products were measured quantitatively using standard plating techniques. Microbial composition of these products was also characterized by using high-resolution, long-read amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Five products (83%) listed specific microorganisms, and four products (66%) guaranteed colony forming units (CFU)/g on their label. To enumerate viable lactic acid bacteria (LAB), two lots of each homogenized product were plated upon opening and following 14 d on deMan Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) agar and incubated under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Results from point of opening revealed that all commercial kefir products with a guaranteed CFU/g overstated the number of microorganisms present by at least 1 log, with only one product exceeding 1 × 109 CFU/g. Sequencing results demonstrated that none of the labels claiming specific bacterial genera and species on their labels were correct, and all products contained at least three additional bacterial species above the minimum detectable threshold (0.001% relative abundance) that were not disclosed by the manufacturer. In addition to the incorrect viable CFU and bacterial taxonomies, several of the product labels and websites contained a wide range of health claims, none of which are supported by the companion animal literature. Our results demonstrate a low level of accuracy in the labeling of commercial kefir products intended for use in dogs and cats. Regulatory agencies, veterinarians, pet food professionals, and pet owners must scrutinize these products and demand a higher level of accuracy and quality in the future.
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Registered trials
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