Nebraska Cultures: Paving The Road To Probiotics

The history of Nebraska Cultures, Walnut Creek, CA, and more important, its founder, Dr. Khem Shahani, spans a couple of continents, a few states and several decades. Crossing the Pacific Ocean from India, Dr. Shahani came to the U.S. armed with a Master’s degree and plans to pursue a career in dairy technology. His search brought him to the University of Wisconsin where he ob­tained his PhD.

A few years after re­ceiving his PhD, Dr. Shahani accepted a professorship at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, which is where he conducted pioneering re­search in the field of lactic acid bacteria and enzymes, establishing himself as an authority on Lactobacillus acidophilus. In Dr. Shahani’s words, “When I came to the University of Nebraska, two things drew my attention to Lactobacillus acidophilus. In the 1920s, some scientists here had produced a milk product fermented with acidophilus. I also discovered a book, called Prolongation of Life, written by the Russian scientist and 1908 Nobel Laureate in Medicine, Dr. Ilya Mechnikov. Dr. Mechnikov had observed an increase in longevity among Eastern European peoples who consumed large quantities of fermented foods, including yogurt-like products. He felt that the lactic acid bacteria in these foods had something to do with their improved health and longevity.”

Throughout the years, Dr. Shahani’s work in the field of probiotics, specifically with the Lactobacillus acidophilus strain, took him to several parts of the world where he collected and studied several samples. Eventually narrowing his focus, Dr. Shahani singled out one particular strain of acidophilus that grew much faster, appeared more stable, and produced larger quantities of natural antibiotics and B vitamins. Dr. Shahani labeled this strain “DDS-1” for the Department of Dairy Science Number One strain. He spent the next 40 years at the University of Nebraska carrying out research on the nutritional and therapeutic properties of DDS-1 L. acidophilus, which ultimately became Nebraska Cultures’ flagship product, providing the foundation for the addition of several more products, strains and probiotic blends over the next several years.

Today, Nebraska Cultures supplies a full line of complementary probiotics, all of which are found naturally in the digestive system. The company also offers private labeling, personnel education and technical training—crucial support, the company feels, in this constantly changing world of nutritional supplements. In order to bolster its product portfolio, the company believes education is essential to growth. According to Michael Shahani, director of operations, “Ne­braska Cultures, Inc. is a company that is focused on educating the consumer, which is key in this industry. Probiotics is a fairly new field and concept, especially in the U.S., so there is a strong need to educate people as to why and how this product will be of benefit.” In light of education, the company holds nu­merous seminars for groups or organizations throughout the year.

As for upcoming events at the company, Nebraska Cultures, Inc. is planning a branding campaign for all of its probiotic strains, which will be known in the future as Dr. Shahani’s®. In addition, the company is planning the launch of a new line of blended products in the coming months. Lastly, Dr. Shahani’s book on probiotics is nearing publication. The book will discuss probiotics and their benefits in a consumer-friendly manner.

Like many experts in the industry, Mr. Shahani says the industry is taking an upward turn. As for probiotics specifically, he said, “There has been a large amount of press for probiotics, most recently in the Wall Street Journal.” He says although probiotics represent a small segment of the nutraceuticals industry, it remains a bright spot. “It will soon become the fastest growing segment of the industry, if it is not already,” he said.—R.M.W


Nebraska Cultures
1911 Trenton Court
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Telephone: 925-935-0922
Fax: 925-935-0962
Website: www.nebraskacultures.com