Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.
This is a qualitative data collection. Probiotics are defined as a culture of bacteria which will, when consumed, colonise the stomach and have a beneficial effect on the host. In the past they were used almost exclusively in hospitals for treatment of health conditions associated with the digestive tract. However, in recent years yoghurts and drinks containing probiotics have been marketed to the general public as health products, despite the fact that their health benefits have been the subject of some contention in the scientific community (Martin et al., 2008). Probiotic yoghurts and drinks are regarded as a type of 'functional food' with specific health promoting benefits over and above its usual nutritional value (Food Standards Agency (FSA), 2004), and therefore have an uncertain status between food and drugs and between 'natural' and 'engineered' foods. As a nation we are taking and eating more and more probiotics, which are ingested to exert a positive effect on health beyond traditional nutritional effects. The project examined how the meaning of this novel food is negotiated in the accounts of members of the public, in promotional literature, in media coverage and government documents in the context of food scares, health scares and nutritional uncertainty. It examined how discourses may be shaped by recent healthy eating campaigns, high profile food scandals (bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), genetically modified organisms (GMOs)), the threat from 'unfriendly bacteria' (salmonella, listeria, Escherichia coli (E.coli) and 'superbugs' such as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and clostridium difficile) and issues of cleanliness, as well as changes in the political landscape where germs can be unleashed as 'weapons of mass destruction'. Exploring the meaning of probiotics in this context may fill in one piece in a complex jigsaw puzzle that involves germs, antibiotics, hygiene, disease and nutrition. The overall aim of the project was to explore what visions of health, science and society are built into probiotics as a 'new' type of food. The project complements studies that focus on public perception of food risks by examining the social construction of food 'benefits'. The data held within this collection comprises transcripts of five focus group discussions held with members of the public, including specific groups of mothers and students. Further information may be found on the ESRC Enlisting the help of friendly bacteria: probiotics and visions of health, nutrition and science in a modern world award webpage. References (see above): Martin, F.P. et al. (2008) 'Probiotic modulation of symbiotic gut microbial-host metabolic interactions in a humanized microbiome mouse model', Molecular Systems Biology, 4, pp.157. FSA/Food Standards Agency (2004) Research and survey programmes: annual report.
Main Topics:
The focus group discussions covered the purchase and consumption of probiotics, balanced diet, health, functional food, perceived risk/benefits of probiotics.
Volunteer sample
Focus group
