Alive or inactivated. That one choice sets the format, the process and the label.
A probiotic is a live microorganism; a postbiotic is an inactivated one. That sounds like a small difference and it changes almost everything downstream: which formats are possible, whether the product survives pasteurisation, how it is stored, how potency is measured, and what the label may say. This explainer walks through each point, then gives a simple decision guide.
Probiotics are live microorganisms counted in CFU; they need cool storage, lose potency over shelf life and cannot survive pasteurisation, baking or acidic drinks. Postbiotics are inactivated microorganisms counted in cells per gram or milligrams; they survive heat and low pH, store at room temperature for years and fit any format. Probiotics have the larger evidence base; neither has an authorised EU health claim.
Live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host (FAO/WHO 2001, confirmed by ISAPP 2014). The potency is the number of live cells, stated as CFU (colony-forming units) per dose, and it must hold until the end of shelf life.
A preparation of inanimate microorganisms and/or their components that confers a health benefit on the host (ISAPP 2021). The cells are inactivated on purpose, usually by heat, and the potency is stated as inactivated cells per gram or as milligrams of powder.
A prebiotic is a substrate, typically a fibre, that is selectively used by host microorganisms. A synbiotic combines live microorganisms with a substrate. Neither is the subject of this page, but buyers often mix the terms up.
| Question | Probiotic (live) | Postbiotic (inactivated) |
|---|---|---|
| How is potency stated? | CFU per dose, with an overage to cover losses | Cells per gram (flow cytometry) or mg of powder |
| Does it survive heat? | No: pasteurisation, UHT, baking and extrusion kill it | Yes: already inactivated, no viability to lose |
| Acidic or moist products? | Potency drops in juices, yoghurt drinks, gummies | Stable across pH and water activity |
| Storage | Often cool or refrigerated; CFU declines over time | Ambient; typical shelf life 24–36 months |
| Possible formats | Capsules, sticks, some chilled dairy | Any: drinks, dairy, ice cream, bakery, bars, gummies, capsules |
| Production | Freeze-dried cultures, handled dry and cool | Spray-dried or freeze-dried powder, handled like any dry ingredient |
| Evidence | Decades of strain-specific human studies | Smaller but growing; must be generated for the inactivated preparation |
| Safety profile | Live cells: a consideration for vulnerable groups | No live cells: often the argument for infant, clinical and pet use |
| EU label | “Probiotic” tolerated in some member states, not in Germany | No EU position on “postbiotic”; assume the same treatment |
A probiotic specification says, for example, 10 billion CFU per capsule at the end of shelf life. To get there, the manufacturer fills more at production, the overage, because live counts fall. The CoA for each batch shows the CFU at release.
A postbiotic cannot be counted in CFU, because the cells do not grow on a plate. Instead, the specification states inactivated cells per gram, measured by flow cytometry, or simply the milligrams of powder per serving. The CoA also shows a maximum residual viable count, which proves that the inactivation step worked.
A practical consequence: “10 billion” on a probiotic and “10 billion” on a postbiotic describe different things and cannot be compared one to one. Read the method on the specification.
Both work. Choose the one with the stronger evidence for your positioning. A combination is common: a live strain plus a postbiotic in the same capsule.
Postbiotic. The process or the matrix would kill a live culture, and a product that loses its active ingredient before the best-before date is not a product.
Postbiotic, or a spore-forming probiotic. Freeze-dried lactobacilli lose count faster at 30 °C and above.
Probiotic. Keep the strain, protect it with the right capsule, packaging and overage, and write the stability plan into the specification.
Neither is better in general. A probiotic has the larger evidence base and needs a format and supply chain that keep it alive. A postbiotic is the only option for heat-treated or acidic products and for long ambient shelf life. The right choice depends on the product.
Only through a controlled inactivation step with evidence generated for the inactivated preparation. A probiotic that simply died in the bottle is not a postbiotic.
Yes. Capsules and sticks that pair a live strain with a postbiotic are common. The postbiotic adds nothing to the CFU count, so both are declared separately.
Inactivated cells do not carry the infection risk that is discussed for live cells in vulnerable groups. Tolerance data come from the studies on each preparation; a supplier should be able to show them.
Any heat-treated fermented food contains inactivated bacteria, for example baked sourdough or pasteurised sauerkraut, but not in a defined, quantified form. A postbiotic ingredient is a defined preparation with a specification.
The Commission treats “probiotic” as an implied health claim; Italy, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Poland tolerate it for live strains under conditions, Germany does not. There is no EU position on “postbiotic”; the safe assumption is the same treatment.
Send a few lines about your product: format, market, rough volume. Minimum orders: 500 units per SKU for sports nutrition, 60,000 capsules or 300,000 stick sachets for probiotics, bulk probiotic cultures from 50 kg. You get an answer within 24 hours.
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