New Delhi, Nov 20 (IANS) Scientists Friday said that the government was in the process of formulating guidelines for regulation of probiotic foods, which have flooded the Indian markets, and the guidelines would be in place by January 2010.

A task force set up by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is formulating the guidelines that would ensure product safety, quality, reliability and level playing for all companies introducing probiotic products.

'Probiotic food is an emerging category in India and with the number of probiotic foods making a foray into Indian market, it becomes imperative to establish guidelines to regulate them,' said N.K. Ganguly, former director general of ICMR.

Ganguly, who was speaking at the Third India Probiotic Symposium here, said these guidelines would have a provision for assessment of efficacy, safety and health claims made by the probiotic foods that are being launched and would define a set of parameters required for a product to be classified as probiotic.

'Stringent labelling of the probiotic product, shelf life and storage conditions would prevent companies from misleading the consumers,' he said.

Probiotics are dietary supplements of live micro-organisms considered to be good for health.

Explaining the benefits of probiotic food, Gregor Reid, former president of the International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics, said: 'Besides playing an important role in digestive, immunological and respiratory functions, probiotics could have a significant effect on alleviation of infectious diseases in children, women and other high risk groups.'