Response to the letter to the editor by Vinderola et al. (2025) Trends in Food Science & Technology 165, 105289

This letter responds to the correspondence by Vinderola et al. (2025) regarding our article “Commercial and regulatory frameworks for postbiotics: an industry-oriented scientific perspective for non-viable microbial ingredients conferring beneficial physiological effects” (Trends in Food Science & Technology, 163, 105130). We clarify that our work did not propose a new definition of postbiotics, but rather a sector-specific handling taxonomy designed for foods and dietary supplements, harmonizing existing academic definitions with regulatory practice. We reaffirm that our framework complements, rather than replaces, academic definitions, and provides a practical tool for classification, traceability, and labeling of non-viable microbial ingredients. We further address the rationale for the use of the term “beneficial physiological effects,” and the inclusion of cell-free fermentates as a pragmatic, historically consistent component of the postbiotic category. Finally, we invite a multi-stakeholder dialogue to align scientific, industrial, and regulatory perspectives on postbiotics.