These criteria are classified into its safety profile, performance within the GI tract and technological aspects of its development. The criteria are further dependent on the specific purpose of the strain and on the location for the expression of the specific property. With regards to safety, the probiotic strain must be of human origin, isolated from the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of healthy individuals. The strain itself, its fermentation products or its cell components after its death, should be non-pathogenic, non-toxic, non-allergic, non-mutagenic or non-carcinogenic even when given to immunocompromised individuals
