Beverages Webinar | Probiotic and Functional Beverages: Potential Implications for Health
the chairs
1st Beverages Webinar
Probiotic and Functional Beverages: Potential Implications for Health
Are you interested in how probiotic and functional beverages can contribute to human health? If so, join us for the upcoming webinar, “Probiotic and Functional Beverages: Potential Implications for Health”. This event is intended for food scientists, nutritionists, researchers, product developers, and industry professionals within the food and beverage industry, as well as for anyone interested in exploring the latest scientific advances behind health-promoting fermented and functional drinks.
This webinar will present current research on the development and application of probiotic and functional beverages as effective carriers of beneficial microorganisms and bioactive compounds. Topics will include the role of probiotic beverages in cognitive health through the gut–brain axis, the development of functional fermented dairy drinks using novel microbial strains, and the health effects of biofunctional fermented products on metabolic and oxidative stress markers.
This webinar offers a valuable opportunity to gain insights from recent scientific evidence and innovative case studies highlighting how fermented and functional beverages may support cognitive, metabolic, and overall health. Join us to explore emerging perspectives and future directions in the rapidly evolving field of probiotic and functional beverage research.
Date: Friday, 20 March 2026
Time: 14:00 CET to 15:30 CET
Webinar ID: 823 9425 3217
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Meet the Event Chairs
Meet Our Speakers
Prof. Dr. Antonio Bevilacqua
Department of Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Engineering, University of Foggia, Italy;
Antonio Bevilacqua holds a PhD in food product biotechnology (2006) and an MSc in food science and technology from the University of Foggia, Italy, where he is currently a full professor of microbiology at the DAFNE Department and coordinator of the Master’s Degree Program in food science and technology. His research focuses on food spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms, starter cultures and probiotics, predictive microbiology and mathematical modeling, risk analysis, and sustainable agriculture, including plant growth-promoting bacteria and bioremediation. He has coordinated several national and international research projects and serves as an Associate Editor and Editorial Board Member of leading journals in food microbiology and food science.
Dr. Ioanna Prapa
Laboratory of Applied Microbiology & Biotechnology, Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece;
Ioanna Prapa is a molecular biologist and holds a PhD in applied microbiology and biotechnology. She has been awarded a competitive personal scholarship (financed by the State Scholarship Foundation of Greece and the European Union) to conduct her doctoral research (2018-2021). She has authored 18 peer-reviewed research papers in scientific journals and published 30 conference proceedings. She has participated as a research associate and as a post-doctoral researcher in 6 EU- and Greek-funded projects related to functional food development, probiotic and microbiome research in the agri-food sector.
Dr. Olga I. Papagianni
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean, Greece;
Dr. Olga I. Papagianni is a postdoctoral researcher in the Human Nutrition Unit of the Nutrition and Public Health Laboratory. She studied food science and nutrition at the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of the Aegean (2009-2015) and completed her master's studies in business administration, MBA, Frederick University (2017-2018). During the period 2019-2022, she completed her doctoral thesis in human nutrition (Nutrition Unit, Nutrition and Public Health Laboratory, Department of Food and Nutrition Science, University of the Aegean) under the supervision of Associate Professor Koutelidakis E. Antonios.
Her scientific interests focus on the development of innovative functional foods, based on traditional raw materials and bioactive compounds, on the design and execution of nutritional interventions, clinical trials, and epidemiological studies, to investigate their bioactivity and bioavailability. He has 20 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, 19 presentations at Greek and international peer-reviewed conferences, and 3 chapters in two scientific books. She has participated in 14 research projects.
Sponsors and Partners
Organizer
In this section, you will find the recordings of this webinar to watch. Re-watch and share with your colleagues!
The webinar offered a comprehensive overview of current research on functional and probiotic beverages, emphasizing their potential role in promoting human health, particularly in relation to cognitive function, metabolic balance, and oxidative stress. The presentations highlighted the use of beverages as effective carriers for probiotics with possible cognitive benefits, as well as the development of innovative fermented products using novel microbial cultures. The clinical and nutritional aspects of biofunctional foods enriched with bioactive compounds were also discussed, highlighting their impact on metabolic and oxidative stress markers. Contributions from Dr. Antonio Bevilacqua, Dr. Ioanna Prapa, and Dr. Olga Papagianni fostered scientific exchange and encouraged discussion of emerging trends and future directions in the field of functional beverages.
"Probiotics Empowering the Future of Beverages"
Edited by Dr. Panagiotis Kandylis and Dr. Dimitra Dimitrellou
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2026