Review on fermented plant materials as carriers and sources of potentially probiotic lactic acid bacteria – With an emphasis on table olives

Consumption of functional probiotic foods has increased over recent decades, alongside with increasing consumer and researcher awareness of their health-promoting effects. This has prompted an interest toward development of novel functional food formulations. Despite fermented dairy products still remaining the most common vectors for the delivery of probiotics to humans, such other food matrices as fruits and vegetables offer a promising performance as sources and carriers of probiotic strains. Hence, these types of matrices are thoroughly reviewed here – with table olives being subjected to comprehensive discussion as a case study, owing to their suitable microstructure and unique sensory and nutritional features.

► A new generation of plant-based foods and drinks containing probiotic strains is on the rise.
► Fruits and vegetables constitute unique sources of adventitious probiotic strains, as well as advantageous carriers thereof.
► Various aspects of this emerging field are described and discussed at some length in this review paper.
► Brined olives is a case study of such plant-based probiotic foods, with a promising potential.