ConAgra's Functional Foods Division Introduces New Dietary Supplement

CAG Functional Foods, a division of ConAgra, Inc., has introduced Culturelle dietary supplement capsules that contain the ``friendly'' bacteria Lactobacillus GG. The capsules are available for the first time in the United States.

``The CAG Functional Foods division was created to meet the growing needs of consumers who want nutritious foods that provide a secondary function such as maintaining a balanced digestive system,'' said Jon Vanderhoof, MD, vice president of Nutrition and Health Sciences at ConAgra. ``We're proud to be the first to introduce Culturelle probiotics with Lactobacillus GG to the American market.''

Probiotic is the term used to describe the ``friendly'' bacteria that populate the intestinal tract, but which can be destroyed or depleted by taking antibiotics, changing one's diet, or foreign bacteria from traveling.

``Lactobacillus GG has been extensively studied worldwide in digestive disorders such as diarrhea caused by antibiotics, viruses, and travel,'' said Mark Pochapin, MD, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Medical College of Cornell University. ``It's already been safely used for its health benefits by millions of people of all ages throughout Europe and other parts of the world and now people in the U.S. finally have access to this new option.''

Since the early 1900s, Lactobacillus has been the focus of research due to the documented safety of this type of bacterial strain, which is used in the fermentation of dairy and food products such as yogurt, buttermilk, cheese and sourdough.

In 1985, Drs. Sherwood Gorbach and Barry Goldin of Tufts University in Boston isolated the bacterial strain, Lactobacillus GG, identified by the initials of its discoverers. After years of clinical research and documentation from major universities, Lactobacillus GG was chosen to be the key ingredient in Culturelle.

Lactobacillus GG is currently being tested and has proven to help control overgrowth of some of the harmful bacteria in the gastrointestinal system, assist intestinal functioning, enhance the body's natural defenses, adhere and colonize in the intestinal tract, survive stomach acid, and provide clinically proven health benefits. In addition, Culturelle capsules are lactose-free and dairy-free.

CAG Functional Foods, manufacturers of Culturelle probiotics, is a division of ConAgra, Inc., a diversified international food company headquartered in Omaha, NE.