Patent ID: 8425930

Claim:
A method for stimulating beneficial Bifidobacterium microflora in an animal, the method comprising administering to the animal a sufficient amount of a prebiotic composition to stimulate colonization of the gut of the animal by a strain of Bifidobacterium breve or Bifidobacterium longum bv. infantis , wherein the prebiotic composition comprises galacto-oligosaccharides and substantially lacks fructo-oligosaccharides, and wherein at least 50% of the galacto-oligosaccharides by weight are tetra or penta galacto-oligosaccharides or wherein at least 30% of the galacto-oligosaccharides by weight are tetra galacto-oligosaccharides, thereby stimulating colonization of the gut of the animal by the strain of Bifidobacterium breve or Bifidobacterium longum bv. infantis.