Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis Study (SAR)

Inclusion Criteria:

• Men or women over 16 years of age.
• A history of SAR for a minimum of 2 years before study entry.
• Documentation of sensitivity by positive skin testing (by prick or intradermal methods) or by adequately validated in vitro tests for specific IgE (e.g., RAST, PRIST) to grass pollen within 12 months prior to enrolment. If this is not available, appropriate tests will be performed at screening.
• Able to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Ingestion of probiotics as part of normal diet
• Significant medical, surgical or psychiatric disease that in the opinion of the participants' attending physician would affect subject safety or influence the study outcome.
• Symptoms of rhinitis at screening indicated by total symptom scores of more than 2 out of 12 (based on a combination of nasal symptoms of blockage, sneezing, rhinorrhoea and itching).
• Current smokers or ex-smokers of <1 year or those who have smoked the equivalent of 20 cigarettes/day for 20 years or more.
• Participants receiving any form of corticosteriod from 1 month prior to the study
• Inadequate washout periods for the following:

Intranasal cromolyn (2 weeks) Intranasal or systemic decongestants (3 days) Intranasal or systemic antihistamines (3 days), except astemizole (6 weeks) or loratadine (10 days).

• Documented evidence of acute or significant chronic sinusitis
• A history of hypersensitivity to the milk or its products
• Pregnant women or those planning a pregnancy. It is important not to include pregnant women in the study due to the possibility of miscarriage following anaphylaxis.
• Lactating women are excluded as those infants breast fed by mothers responding to allergenic challenges can transmit the manifestations of allergic responses to the feeding infant via breast milk