Today, food products not only should serve the source of main nourishment but also must minimize the risk of negative impact on the human body. Products enriched with antioxidants can be referred to such category. For food producers, the development of products “for health” is usually connected with significant investment, whereas the final success of innovative products does not always meet the expectations. The greatest part of such products is withdrawn from the market during the first year. It is important for manufacturers to learn consumer behavior in order to ensure sale growth and a stable market position. The purpose of this study was to study consumer reception of products containing antioxidants. (It is important to conduct market research to identify the needs of buyers in order to maintain a stable position in the market. In order to study this issue, we analyzed the consumer perception of foods with antioxidant properties.) We studied the consumer perception of products with antioxidant properties with regard to choice predictors and barriers for purchasing, which finally determine the success of the product on the market. For this purpose, we conducted a survey of 721 consumers of the South Urals. The results of the statistical analysis done with the help of SPSS proved that South Ural consumers in general are ready to purchase products containing antioxidants. Besides, producers must bring information concerning the real value of the product and win the consumer trust and confidence as far as these are the main predictors determining the choice for purchasing the products containing antioxidants. Misunderstanding of the role antioxidants play in the human body may lead to perception of risk concerning consumption of such products and rejection of the purchase.

Nowadays starch has become an important food and technical product widely used in various sectors of food industry. The article provides the materials of research studies of Russian and foreign scientists in the field of modification of starch as an instrument of enhancing its technical properties. Modified starch, which is several-fold cheaper, allows to significantly reduce the base cost of the final product. It is used for: sausage production, binding of free moisture; production of sauces, ketchup, mayonnaise for relevant consistency; production of yoghurts or kefir for desired texture; production of confectionery and bakery products for better appearance, etc. Regardless its field of use, the modified starch, which is manufactured in such countries as Russia, China, USA, India and others, acts as thickener, emulsifier, and stabilizer. The main problem while using starch is the increase of viscosity with ageing of aqueous solutions; this happens due to partial crystallization of polymer chains. Contemporary research studies on development of efficient ways of targeted alteration of natural properties of native starch have recently been actively progressing, since starch modification through chemical (acid, oxidizing hydrolysis), biochemical (enzymatic hydrolysis), and physical activation (mechanical, temperature, ultrasonic and wave) is not only of scientific value, but may also be used in industry. It is worth noting that methods of gene engineering are not used for the modified starch manufacture. However, the Expert Committee assembled under such organizations as FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and WHO (World Health Organization) recommended unlimited use of only the starches which undergo enzymatic processing. Other kinds of chemically-processed starches need further studying. That is why physical methods of modification are of major interest for they allow to activate starch in a non-agent way and still alter its properties.

Whole-grain food ingredients enable the most balanced food products to be obtained, thus forming an important part of a healthy and sustainable diet. Wheat and barley grains are a traditional source of food ingredients for breads, breakfasts, drinks, and snacks in Russia. Such foods are suitable for all ages with many health benefits. However, the modern metropolitan citizen consumes large quantities of refined cereal products, thus impoverishing their diet. An alternative in dietary fortification could be sprouted and fermented food ingredients with an increased nutritional value. The present work was carried out to study the effect of a combination of germination with ultrasound treatment and fermentation with a complex starter of cereal crops on antioxidant activity and γ-aminobutyric acid content of food ingredients with the possibility of using them in the matrix of food products. In order to obtain germinated food ingredients, we used crops with the highest yield in the Ural region (Russia): two samples of soft spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and a sample of spring barley grain (Hordeum vulgare L.). Obtaining food ingredients was divided into successive stages: ultrasonic treatment (22 ± 1.25 kHz) was performed by means of changing power and length of time (245 W/L, intensity for 5 min); germination and fermentation used complex starter “Vivo Probio”. The proposed technology of germination with haunting fermentation of cereal crops resulted in food ingredients with a more uniform distribution of granulometric composition, a low proportion of fine particles (4.62–104.60 µm) (p < 0.05) and large particles (418.60–592.00 µm) (p < 0.05). The particle size range (31.11–248.90 μm) (p < 0.05) was predominant. The germination and fermentation process resulted in 26 to 57% (p < 0.05) lower phytic acid content, 35 to 68% (p < 0.05) higher flavonoid content, 31 to 51% (p < 0.05) higher total antioxidant activity, 42.4 to 93.9% (p < 0.05) higher assimilability, and 3.1 to 4.7 times (p < 0.05) higher γ-aminobutyric acid content, which will allow production of food products with pronounced preventive action. The data was analyzed via one-way ANOVA analysis of variance using the free web-based software. The combination of the germination process with ultrasound treatment and subsequent fermentation with a complex starter can be used to support the development of healthful food products with increased GABA and antioxidant activity.

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Nowadays, starch is widely used in the food industry as an additive that can improve product quality due to its characteristics. Starch can have a significant effect on the texture of a food product, and works as a thickener, stabilizer, filler and ingredient that locks in moisture well. Different types of starch are used in production, depending on the purpose of their application. Starch properties mainly depend on its physical and chemical characteristics, amylose/amylopectin ratio, and also on the average granule size and percentage ratio of different granule size groups. Currently, the innovation approaches with the use of so-called "green technologies" have been the priorities of food industry development not only in Russia but also all over the world. This paper deals with the possibility of producing modified starches using ultrasonic exposure methods. It was found that the properties of the modified starch suspensions undergo significant changes when exposed to low-frequency ultrasound. In particular, the temperature of starch gelatinization decreases by an average of 17° C, the output of amylose from the starch grain increases by 2.8–3.5 times relative to the native starch. The size of particles in the starch suspensions varies. On the basis of the carried out research it has been established that increase of ultrasonic exposure duration leads to equalizing of particle sizes. The native sample has no particles less than 400 nm in size but there are particles larger than 3,000 nm, while the size of particles exposed to ultrasound (630 W, 10 min) is mostly (426 ± 10) nm (35.5%) and (678 ± 5) nm (24.8%). Thus, the use of ultrasound for starch modification makes it possible to produce a substance with new properties and this significantly expands the possibility of using modified starch in the food industry.)