Dairy and Food Culture Technologies
7119 S. Glencoe Ct.
Centennial, CO 80122
303-793-9974
303-771-6201 (fax)
mes@mesanders.com

BIO SKETCH

Dr. Mary Ellen Sanders is an internationally recognized consultant in the area of probiotic microbiology. As a consultant, Dr. Sanders works with a variety of food and supplement companies on development of new probiotic products or support of existing probiotic product lines. She has conducted extensive reviews of the technical literature on probiotics, published on the science and marketing of probiotic bacteria, coordinated clinical studies to validate probiotic efficacy, updated the FDA on the topic of probiotics, participated in a working group convened by the FAO/WHO to make recommendations to Codex for guidelines for use of probiotics in foods and assisted numerous U.S. companies in evaluating probiotics as food or dietary supplement ingredients. Recently, Dr. Sanders formed a collaborative business relationship, FunctionalBiotics LLC, with two experts in regulatory affairs (Drs. James Heimbach and George Burdock) to address industry needs such as safety, efficacy, labeling and GRAS determination, related to the introduction of probiotic products to the US market.

Dr. Sanders recently was elected President and Chairman of the Board of a newly formed scientific society, the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP). This is an international, non-profit association of scientists dedicated to advancing the fundamental and applied science of probiotics and prebiotics.

Dr. Sanders' research efforts have focused on strain development of lactic acid bacteria with a primary emphasis on genetic improvement of starter cultures as a scientist in the Biotechnology Group of Miles Laboratories and in vitro characterization and identification of probiotic lactobacilli and bifidobacteria for commercial applications, speciation of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, evaluation of the effect of probiotics on fecal microecology and tracking specific probiotics through the GI tract as a visiting Research Scientist at the Dairy Products Technology Center at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

ABSTRACTS AND PUBLIC-FORUM PAPERS PRESENTED

Pending: Sanders, M.E. 2003. L. acidophilus NCFM®: functional properties of a unique probiotic strain. Expo West, March 7, Anaheim, CA.

Pending: Sanders, M. E. 2003. The science and marketing of probiotics: emphasis on
opportunity for dairy products. 2003 All Star Convention, March 12-16, La Jolla, CA.

Pending: Sanders, M. E. 2003. Probiotics: definition, importance to microbiology and health, and optimal standards for human use. American Society for Microbiology, May 18 - 23, Washington DC.

Pending: Sanders, M. E. 2003. The role of probiotics in human health. Wisconsin Dietetics Association 2003 Annual Conference, April 10, Madison, WI.

Sanders, M. E. 2003. Probiotics: scientific basis and clinical applications. American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, National Nutrition Week, January 20-24, San Antonio, Texas.

Sanders, M. E. 2002. Safety of oral probiotics in human health: what is known? Montreal International Symposium Probiotics and Health: Biofunctional Perspectives. October 24-25, 2002, Montreal, Quebec

Sanders, M. E. 2002. Probiotics: what are they and how are they used? American College of Nutrition 43rd Annual Symposium on Advances in Clinical Nutrition, October 3-6, 2002, San Antonio, Texas.

Sanders, M. E. and Guarner, F. 2002. Convene round table on: Yogurts and Fermented Milks. Benefits of Live Cultures. September 25, 2002. World Dairy Congress, Paris.

Sanders, M. E. 2002. L. acidophilus NCFM®: functional properties of a unique probiotic strain. Vitafoods International 2000 Exhibition and Conference, Geneva, Switzerland.

Sanders, M. E. 2002. Probiotics for humans: status and future of the science and marketplace. FDA National Center for Toxicological Research, Jefferson, AK.

Sanders, M. E. 2002. The scientific basis and clinical effects of probiotics. Michigan State University Malcolm Trout Lecture Series, E. Lansing, MI.

Sanders, M. E. 2002. Marketing opportunities for nutraceuticals and probiotics. SmartMarketing 2002 (sponsored by IDFA), San Diego, CA.

Sanders, M. E. 2001. Probiotic delivered through foods. Probiotics, Prebiotics and New Foods Conference. Rome, Italy.

Sanders, M. E. 2001. Regulatory aspects of health claims associated with probiotics. International Dairy Federation Nutrition Conference. Auckland, New Zealand.

Sanders, M.E. 2001. Probiotics: New Strains and Strain Specific Research. Nutricon 2001, San Diego, CA.

Sanders, M. E. 2001. Probiotics in the human diet: what is their role? American Dietetic Association Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO.

Sanders, M. E. 2001. Probiotics: efficacy and applications to dairy products. 2001 Annual Meeting of Institute of Food Technologist, New Orleans.

Sanders, M. E. 2001. Regulatory considerations for labeling foods and supplements with health statements in the U.S. First International Bio-Minerals Symposium: Trace Elements in Nutrition, Health and Disease. Salt Lake City, UT.

Sanders, M. E. 2001. Dairy foods and those friendly bacteria important to your health. California Dairy Industry Conference, Pomona, CA.

Sanders, M. E. 2001. The emerging role of probiotics in health. Food 3000, Rome, Italy.

Sanders, M. E. 2000. Functional Foods in the USA: Can Probiotics and Prebiotics Play a Role? American Association of Candy Technologists, Section Meeting, Chicago, IL.

Sanders, M. E. 2000. Probiotics: Foods in the marketplace. Food Advisory Committee to FDA, meeting on probiotics, Arlington, VA.

Sanders, M. E. 2000. Probiotic theory and application in foods. General Mills Technical Seminar Series, Minneapolis, MN.

Sanders, M. E. 2000. Probiotics/Prebiotics. Cultured Dairy Products Conference, Las Vegas, NV.

Sanders, M. E. 2000. The perfect partnership: milk and probiotics. Fluid Milk Forum, Dairy Management Inc., Rosemont, IL.

Sanders, M. E. 2000. Probiotic products in the U.S.: Current status and future challenges. California Institute for Agricultural Research Conference XIII, Sacramento, CA.

Sanders, M. E. 2000. Better Health and Better Foods: The Role of Probiotics. East Coast Section of IFT, Philadelphia, PA.

Sanders, M. E. 2000. Probiotics. Oregon Dairy Industries 2000 Conference. Eugene, OR.

Sanders, M.E. 2000. USA perspectives on probiotics. PROBDEMO Meeting, Rovaniemi, Finland.

Sanders, M. E. 1999. Current market and potential for probiotic-containing products in the U.S. IFT Scientific Lecturer. Presented to Ohio IFT Division, Cleveland.

Sanders, M. E. 1999. Microbiological issues in marketing probiotic products. International Workshop on Dairy Products and Colon Cancer Risk Reduction, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Sanders, M. E. 1999. Bringing a probiotic-containing functional food product to market: microbiological, product, regulatory and labeling issues. Sixth Symposium on Lactic Acid Bacteria, Veldhoven, The Netherlands.

Sanders, M. E. 1999. Approaches and limitations of in vitro characterization of probiotic bacteria. Submitted to 1999 Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association, Memphis.

Yeung, P. S. M., R. Cano, C. L. Kitts, M. E. Sanders and P. S. Tong. 1999. Gene-based techniques for species identification and strain relatedness of commercial probiotic strains. 1999 IFT Annual Meeting, Abstract 37D-27.

Yeung, P.S.M., R. Cano, P. S. Tong, and M. E. Sanders. 1999. Comparison of API, 16S rDNA sequencing and fatty acid analysis as methods to speciate commercial probiotic bacteria. 1999 Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association, Memphis.

Iturriria-Laverty, K., P. S. Tong, and M. E. Sanders. 1999. Microbiological stability of probiotic and starter bacteria in commercial yogurt and cottage cheese. 1999 Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association, Memphis.

Sanders, M. E. 1999. Functional properties of yogurt. Dannon International Research Center Symposium: "Yogurt: Eighty Years of Active Research for Health", Barcelona, Spain. April, 1999.

Sanders, M. E. 1999. Probiotics and Health. IRTU Conference on "Dairy Products and Health", Ulster, Northern Ireland, March, 1999.

Sanders, M. E. 1999. Considerations for us of probiotic bacteria to modulate human health. 1999 Experimental Biology annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.

Sanders, M. E., R. Cano and T. R. Klaenhammer. 1998. Lactic acid bacteria - they can be "healthy" for the consumer and you. California Milk Producer Research Conference: Report on Producers' Investments, October 28, Visalia, CA.

Sanders, M. E. 1998. Current market and potential for probiotic-containing products in the U.S. November 18. Northern California Section IFT. Scientific Lecturer.

Sanders, M. E. 1998. Overview of functional foods with an emphasis on probiotic bacteria. October 22. Washington DC Section IFT. Scientific Lecturer.

Sanders, M. E. 1998. Current market and potential for probiotic-containing products in the U.S. September 18. Bonneville Section IFT. Scientific Lecturer.

Sanders, M. E. 1998. Scientific basis of probiotic functionality. Brigham Young University, Departmental Seminar Series.

Sanders, M. E. 1998. Current Market and Potential for Probiotic-Containing Products in the U.S. Cultured Dairy Products Symposium, May 12-13. Milwaukee, WI.

Sanders, M. E. 1997. Overview of functional foods. US/Ireland Co-operation Programme in Agricultural Science and Technology, Conference on Functional Foods, Sept 30-Oct 2, Cork, Ireland.

Sanders, M. E., 1997. Probiotics: theory, potential and use. Nutracon 97 conference, July 17-18, Las Vegas.

Sanders, M. E., 1997. Development of consumer probiotics in the US market. Institute of Food Technologists Annual Convention, Orlando, FL, June.

Sanders, M. E., 1996. Probiotic cultures and human health. XII International Symposium on Gnotobiology (ISG), Honolulu, June 23-28.

Sanders, M. E., 1996. Probiotic cultures for milk products: positive human health effects and microbiological challenges. Departmental Seminar, Dairy Products Technology Center, San Luis Obispo, May 16.

Sanders, M. E., 1996. Overview of probiotics: their effect on human health. 16th Symposium on Nutrition and Food Technology, Chicago, March 6.

Sanders, M. E., 1995. Probiotics: from all things to all people, to snake oil. World Congress on Anaerobic Bacteria and Infections, San Juan, Puerto Rico, November 5-8.

Sanders, M. E., 1995. Probiotics: definition and range of applications. Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting, Anaheim, June 3.

Sanders, M. E., 1994. Lactic acid bacteria and human health. Old Herborn University Seminar, Herborn, Germany, June 27-29.

Sanders, M. E., 1994. The effect of lactic acid bacteria on human health. Univ. Minnesota Departmental Seminar, May 10.

Sanders, M. E., 1994. The next generation of fluid milks with added lactic cultures. Spring Dairy Industry Conference, Sacramento, February 23-24.

Sanders, M. E., 1994. Culture containing milks for the California market: project update. California Cheese Symposium, San Francisco, February 14-15.

Sanders, M. E., 1993. Health attributes of cultured dairy foods. Annual Meeting of American Cultured Dairy Products Institute, Las Vegas, March 28-30.

Sanders, M. E., 1992. Rapid Microbiological Methods. Rocky Mountain Section of IFT Suppliers Night, Denver.

Sanders, M. E., 1991. HACCP. Rocky Mountain Section of IFT, Denver.

Sanders, M. E., 1990. Genetic approaches for the improvement of strains for Italian cheese manufacture. Marschall Italian Cheese Seminar, Madison, WI.

Sanders, M. E., 1990. Genetic approaches for improving food starter cultures. ASM Conference on Biotechnology, Chicago.

Sanders, M. E., 1989. Bacteriophage resistance and its applications to yogurt flora. International Conference on Health Attributes of Live Active Culture Yogurt, New York.

Sanders, M. E., 1989. Phage-resistance in cheese-making bacteria. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo.

Sanders, M. E., 1988. Phage resistant starters. E.M.B.O. Workshop on Genetic Manipulation of Lactic Acid Bacteria: A Breakthrough in the Food Industry, Annecy, France.

Sanders, M. E., P.J. Leonhard, and T.R. Klaenhammer. 1986. The use of pTR2030 for the conjugal construction of a fast acid-producing, phage-resistant strain of Streptococcus lactis. American Dairy Science Association Annual Meeting, Davis, CA.

Sanders, M. E., 1986. Genetic characterization of lactic acid bacteria. Western Food Industry Conference, Davis, CA.

Sanders, M. E., 1985. Advances in starter culture technology. X Food Microbiology Research Conference, Chicago, IL.

Sanders, M. E., 1985. Protoplast transformation of Streptococcus cremoris. Wind River Conference on Genetic Exchange, Estes Park, CO.

Sanders, M. E. and T. R. Klaenhammer. 1984. Temperature-sensitive phage resistance in a phage-insensitive strain of Streptococcus lactis. 84th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Microbiology, St. Louis, MO.

Klaenhammer, T.R. and M. E. Sanders. 1983. Resistance of group N streptococci to lytic bacteriophage: mechanisms and genetic determinants. International Symposium on Lactic Acid Bacteria in Foods: Genetics, Metabolism and Applications. Netherlands Society for Microbiology, Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Sanders, M. E. and T. R. Klaenhammer. 1983. Phage resistance in a phage insensitive strain of Streptococcus lactis: involvement of plasmid DNA in genetically determining phage adsorption. 77th Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.

Sanders, M. E., 1982. Involvement of plasmid DNA in the bacteriophage resistance of the lactic streptococci. Carolina - Virginia Section Meeting of Institute of Food Technologists, Winston-Salem, NC.

Sanders, M. E. and T. R. Klaenhammer, 1981. Plasmid composition of mutants deficient in restriction and modification and proteolytic capacities in Streptococcus cremoris KH. American Society for Microbiology International Conference on Streptococcal Genetics, Sarasota, FL.

Sanders, M. E. and T. R. Klaenhammer, 1981. Evidence for plasmid linkage of restriction and modification systems in Streptococcus cremoris. 76th Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.

Sanders, M. E. and T. R. Klaenhammer, 1980. Restriction and modification in the lactic streptococci: the effect of heat on the development of modified, lytic bacteriophage. 75th Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg.

Sanders, M. E. and T. R. Klaenhammer, 1979. Host restriction and modification in the lactic streptococci: effect of environmental stress. North Carolina Branch of the American Society for Microbiology, Raleigh.

PUBLICATIONS

Iturriria-Laverty, K., M. E. Sanders, and P. S. Tong. Microbiological stability of probiotic and starter bacteria in commercial yogurt and cottage cheese. Manuscript in preparation.

Yeung, P. S. M., M. E. Sanders, C. L. Kitts, R. Cano, P. S. Tong. Application of genomic and phenotypic analysis to commercial probiotic strain identity. Manuscript in preparation.

Reid, G, Sanders, M. E., Gaskins, H. R., Gibson, G., Mercenier, A., Rastall, R., Roberfroid, M., Rowland, I., Cherbut, C. and Klaenhammer, T. R. New Scientific Paradigms for Probiotics and Prebiotics. Submitted Journal Clinical Gastroenterology.

Sanders, M. E., Morelli, L. and Tompkins, T. Sporeformers as human probiotics:
Bacillus, Sporolactobacillus and Brevibacillus. Comp. Rev. Food Sci. & Food Safety. Submitted.

Sanders, M. E. Probiotics: What are they and how are they used? J. Amer. Coll. Nutr. Submitted.

Sanders, M. E. The case for probiotics. Nutr. Rev. Submitted.

Sanders, M. E. 2002. Market and regulatory challenges for functional dairy foods: communicating health benefits. Bulletin of the International Dairy Federation 375:17-19.

Yeung, P. S. M., M. E. Sanders, C. L. Kitts, R. Cano, P. S. Tong. 2002. Species-specific identification of commercial probiotic strains. J. Dairy Sci. 85:1039-1051.

Sanders, M. E., Morelli, L. and Bush, S. 2001. "Lactobacillus sporogenes" is not a Lactobacillus probiotic. ASM News 67:385-386.

Yeung, P. S. M. and M. E. Sanders. 2001. Probiotic Products: Considerations in Development and Labeling. Food Technology International 2001:37-41.

Kaplan, C. W., Astaire, J. C., Sanders, M. E., Reddy, B. S. and Kitts, C. L. Terminal restriction fragment pattern analysis of changing bacterial assemblages in rat feces during ingestion of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM®. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67:1935-1939.

Sanders, M. E. and T. R. Klaenhammer. The scientific basis of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM® functionality as a probiotic. J. Dairy Sci. 84:319-331.

Sanders, M. E. 2000. Dairy products. In J. Lederberg (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Microbiology, Second Edition, Academic Press, Orlando, FL. Vol. 2, p. 1-8.

Sanders, M.E. 2000. Considerations for use of probiotic bacteria to modulate human health. J. Nutr. 130:384S-390S.

Sanders, M. E. 1999. Proboitics. Food Technology 53 (11):67-77.

Sanders, M. E. and J. Huis in't Veld. 1999. Bringing a probiotic-containing functional food to the market: microbiological, product, regulatory and labeling issues. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 76:293-315.

Sanders, M. E. 1999. Capitalizing on probiotics and their potential as healthful food ingredients. California Dairy Dispatch 6:1-3.

Rao, C. V., M. E. Sanders, C. Indranie, B. Simi and B. S. Reddy. 1999. Prevention of colon carcinogenesis by the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus-NCFMÔ in rats. Intern. J. Oncol. 14:939-944.

Sanders, M. E. 1998. Development of Consumer Probiotics for the U.S. Market. Brit. J. Nutr. 80, Suppl. 2:S213-218.

Sanders, M. E. 1998. Overview of functional foods: emphasis on probiotic bacteria. Intern. Dairy J. 8:341-347.

Sanders, M. E. 1996. Probiotic cultures and human health. In Germfree Life and Its Ramifications, K. Hashimoto, et al. (eds.), XII ISG Publishing Committee, Shiozawa, Japan.

Sanders, M. E., D. C. Walker, K. M. Walker, K. Aoyama, and T. R. Klaenhammer. 1996. Performance of commercial cultures in fluid milk applications. J. Dairy Sci. 79:943-955.

Sanders, M. E. 1995. Lactic acid bacteria and human health. In R. Fuller, P. Heidt, V. Rusch and D. van der Waaij (Eds.) Probiotics: Prospects of Use in Opportunistic Infections, Institute for Microbiology and Biochemistry, Herborn, Germany, p. 126-140.

Sanders, M. E. 1995. Lactococci. In Y. H. Hui and G. G. Khachatourians (Eds.) Food Biotechnology: Microorganisms, VCH Publishers, Inc., New York, p. 645-664.

Sanders, M. E. Lactic acid bacteria as promoters of human health. 1994. In I. Goldberg (Ed.) Functional Foods. Chapman and Hall, New York, p. 294-322.

Sanders, M. E. 1994. How healthful is yogurt? Healthline 13:8.

Sanders, M. E. 1993. Healthful attributes of microbes in yogurt. Contemporary Nutrition. Volume 18, No. 5.

Sanders, M. E. 1993. Summary of conclusions from a consensus panel of experts on health attributes of lactic cultures: significance to fluid milk products containing cultures. J. Dairy Sci. 76:1819-1828.

Sanders, M. E. 1993. Bacteriophages in industrial fermentations. In R. G. Webster and A. Granoff (Eds.) Encyclopedia of Virology, Academic Press.

Sanders, M. E. 1993. Effect of consumption of lactic cultures on human health. Adv. Food Nutr. Res. 37:67-130.

Sanders, M. E., B. Wasserman, and E. A. Foegeding. 1993. Research needs in biotechnology. Food Technol. 47:18S-21S.

Sanders, M. E. 1992. Dairy products. In J. Lederberg (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Microbiology, Academic Press, Orlando, FL. Vol. 2, p. 1-8.

Sanders, M. E. 1991. Genetic approaches for the improvement of strains for Italian cheese manufacture: a review. J. Dairy Sci. 74:3647.

Sanders, M. E., J. K. Kondo, and D. L. Willrett. 1991. Lactic acid bacteria applications. In I. Goldberg and R. Williams (Eds.) "Biotechnologically Derived Ingredients For Food Products", Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, p. 433-459.

Sanders, M. E. 1991. Mixed cultures in dairy fermentations. In E. Johnson and G. Zeikus (Eds.) "Mixed Cultures in Biotechnology", McGraw-Hill, New York, NY.
p.105-133.

Sanders, M. E. and J. W. Shultz. 1990. Cloning of phage resistance genes from Lactococcus lactis ssp. cremoris KH. J. Dairy Sci. 73:2044-2053.

Sanders, M. E., 1988. Phage resistance in lactic acid bacteria. Biochimie 70: 411-421.

Sanders, M. E. and J. W. Shultz. 1987. Method for cloning in the lactic acid bacteria. European Patent Application. 88118362.8.

Sanders, M. E. and M. A. Nicholson. 1987. A method for genetic transformation of non-protoplasted Streptococcus lactis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 53:1730-1736.

Sanders, M. E. 1987. Bacteriophages of Industrial Importance. In S. M. Goyal, C. P. Gerba and G. Bitton (Eds.) "Phage Ecology", John Wiley and Sons, Inc. p.211-244.

Sanders, M. E., P. J. Leonhard, W. D. Sing, and T. R. Klaenhammer. 1986. A conjugal strategy for construction of fast acid-producing, phage resistant lactic streptococci for use in dairy fermentations. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 52:1001-1007.

Sanders, M. E. and T. R. Klaenhammer. 1984. Phage resistance in a phage-insensitive strain of Streptococcus lactis: temperature-dependent phage development and host-controlled phage replication. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 47:979-985.

Sanders, M. E. 1983. Mechanisms and plasmid linkage of bacteriophage resistance in group N streptococci. Ph. D. thesis, North Carolina State University, Raleigh.

Sanders, M. E. and T. R. Klaenhammer. 1983. Characterization of phage sensitive mutants from a phage-insensitive strain of Streptococcus lactis: evidence for a plasmid determinant that prevents phage adsorption. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 46:1125-1133.

Sanders, M. E. and T. R. Klaenhammer. 1981. Evidence for plasmid linkage of restriction and modification in Streptococcus cremoris KH. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 42:944-950.

Sanders, M. E. and T. R. Klaenhammer. 1980. Restriction and modification in group N streptococci: effect of heat on development of modified lytic bacteriophage. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 40:500-506.