The International Probiotics Association (IPA), Chicago, IL, held its first IPA World Congress on April 11, offering individuals from industry, academia and healthcare the chance to discuss probiotic production technologies, clinical benefits and safety.

The IPA World Congress will be held every two years in different locations around the world. Its goal is to bring industry leaders together with academic and healthcare professionals in attempt to better understand the benefits of clinically-documented probiotic organisms.

IPA is an international non-profit trade organization established in 2001 and is composed of 41 global probiotic-related companies. Among its goals are to educate consumers on the health benefits of probiotics for humans and animals, to promote scientific progress and development and to create standards on probiotic testing.