Can my probiotic be exposed to very hot or cold temperatures?Updated 3 months ago
We are transitioning our probiotic formulas to an improved bottle packaging. This packaging is a moisture-controlled, desiccated bottle for enhanced product stability and strength. It delivers unparalleled protection for live probiotic products, which are sensitive to outside moisture. A desiccant sleeve surrounds the product creating an impenetrable barrier, contributing to greater product stability over time. Research has shown this container system to be more effective than standard bottles containing desiccants or even blister packs. However, we still recommend refrigerating your probiotics to ensure maximum strength and shelf life.
The exception is Saccharomyces Boulardii. Saccharomyces Boulardii is a probiotic yeast (beneficial yeast) that is resistant to pH and temperature changes, so refrigeration is not necessary. Note that it is still important to keep this product in a cool, dry place with a sealed cap to maintain optimal strength.
Probiotics are not shipped with an ice pack as they have been tested to withstand high temperatures of 104 degrees without losing potency. If you would like to purchase an ice pack with your order, you may add it to your cart here: https://www.seekinghealth.com/products/ice-pack
Additional Temperature Information:
High Temperatures: Studies on probiotics similar to Seeking Health's ProBiota line show that they are able to withstand temperatures of 104 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 6 days without losing label claim strength. Furthermore, long-term testing with these probiotics has been performed over a two-year period while stored at 39, 73, and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. At 73 degrees the probiotics began to have a small loss of colony counts after one to two months depending on the strain. However, from these longer and shorter-term studies on probiotics, we expect that our probiotics may be left out at room temperature for days and even weeks without a great loss of viable organisms.
Either way, we recommend refrigerating the ProBiota products to ensure maximum strength and shelf life.
During very hot weather (above 104 degrees F), we recommend purchasing an ice pack with your probiotic or expediting the shipping to account for any time during mailing that may be at very high temperatures. The ice packs will almost always arrive melted, which is not a concern, as the ice packs have done their part by extending the colder temperature during shipping. However, ice packs are not a mandatory part of our shipping procedure as the probiotics are rarely at these high temperatures for an extended period of time.
Cold Temperatures:
Note that freezing temperatures should not be a problem for our probiotics because it is common for probiotic suppliers to store their probiotic material at -4 degrees F. This helps to preserve their stability until time of shipment to the finished product manufacturing facilities. However, the majority of our probiotics are manufactured for cold chain distribution which means they are held at 39 - 46 degrees F until time to test and throughout distribution.
It is possible that at very low temperatures, such as in very cold areas of Canada or Europe, may possibly damage the probiotics if they are left out in the cold for very long periods of time.
We recommend keeping your probiotic at refrigeration temperature (around 40 degrees F) at all times.
Moisture/Air:
Exposure to temperature changes is not the only element that can degrade the ProBiota products; moisture and exposure to air are also detrimental. Most probiotics are anaerobic; they live in an absence of oxygen, and so limiting exposure by keeping them in their sealed dry container with the provided desiccant is ideal. Again, our ProBiota products are freeze-dried to minimize the degradation caused by oxygen, and by keeping the product refrigerated in a sealed and dry container you will maximize the shelf life and strength of your ProBiota product.