Evaluation of commercial probiotic supplements in Malaysia for registration status, labelling compliance, and probiotic contents

Introduction: The global probiotics market is growing rapidly due to increasing consumer demands for functional foods and increased awareness of the importance of gut health. However, previous studies have raised concerns about the labelling, quality, and safety of commercial probiotic products available worldwide. There are limited studies focusing on probiotic supplements sold in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aimed to determine if these probiotic supplements are registered and labelled according to the guidelines by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), Ministry of Health Malaysia, and to identify common probiotic strains found in these products. Methods: A total of 103 probiotic products sold at pharmacies in Klang Valley, Malaysia and online shopping platforms were included in this study. Product labels were examined for the presence of holographic security labels and other labelling requirements set by NPRA. Data were collected between January and March 2022. Results: 81.6% of probiotic supplements sold in Malaysia were registered with NPRA; 70% were fully labelled according to NPRA guidelines, while the rest lacked one or more standard labelling criteria. Mislabelling of probiotic contents was found in 44.7% of probiotic supplements sold in Malaysia, whereby errors were detected in the probiotic nomenclature. The most common probiotic species in these supplements were Lactobacillus acidophilus (61.2%), followed by Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (50.5%), and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (46.6%). Conclusion: While most probiotic supplements sold in Malaysia were registered under NPRA and properly labelled, the availability of unregistered products warrants consumers to make more informed choices about the selection of their purchases.