Probiotics are health-promoting bacteria that can beneficially affect certain aspects of health, including digestive health.  Probiotics have a long history of association with dairy foods, and fermented dairy products continue to be the principal foods for delivering probiotics. Beyond this historical relationship, scientific evidence suggests that dairy products may be the optimal delivery vehicle for probiotics due to its nutrient composition (e.g., lactose and oligosaccharides), acid buffering capacity and refrigerated storage. The Dairy Research Institute continues to examine the interaction between dairy and probiotics.