Recent advances in food science and definition aspects of prebiotics are expanding the scope of prebiotic substrates. In this sense, new carbohydrate‐based prebiotics, such as xylooligosaccharides, isomaltooligosaccharides, chitooligosaccharides, lactosucrose, raffinose, neoagaro‐oligosaccharides, epilactose, and glucomannans are emerging. Thus, this review presents and discusses the recent advances in emerging carbohydrates‐based prebiotics and potential carbohydrate‐based prebiotic foods. In addition, the evolution of the prebiotic concept is detailed, and the worldwide prebiotics regulatory aspects are presented.