A lactic acid bacterium discovered by Estonian scientists has
passed muster with the European Food Safety Authority, paving
the way for use throughout the EU. Estonia is notable for the
probiotic bacteria in yogurt, but this particular strain,
Lactobacillus plantarum NCIMB 30236, is used in animal feed to
ferment silage. Discovered by the Bio-Competence Centre for
Healthy Dairy Products (TAK), it is one of the first
microorganisms in the EU to be granted European Commission
permission and entered in the registered list of feed additives.
The director of TAK, Ene Tammsaare, credited scientists from the
University of Life Sciences, University of Tartu and the
Estonian Research Institute of Agriculture, and the company
Starter ST, who had done years of work. "To this point Estonia
has imported silage preservatives but now we have a domestic one
with high export potential," she said. The product could be
marketed by next spring, said the chairman of the board of
Starter ST, Üllas Jaaska. The bacterium was isolate