Novel Technologies for the Production of Functional Foods

Functional Beverages: The Emerging Side of Functional Foods

“…The application of novel technologies could make possible the production of improved functional beverages (Ofori and Hsieh ). For example, many dairy products contains active ingredients like soluble fiber, but some compounds of this group could have deleterious effects on texture; in this sense 2 approaches could be used: searching for low‐viscosity and nutritionally relevant fiber sources (Chen and others ), or adding specific hydrocolloids (Paquet and others ) or enzymes (Nionelli and others ).…”

“…A possible approach is micro‐encapsulation (ME), successfully applied using various matrices to protect the bacterial cells from the external environment (Granato and others ). For instance, an increased viability was reported by using the ME of L. acidophilus in nanofibers spun from alkali‐treated soluble dietary fiber produced from the agro‐waste okara (soybean solid waste), oil palm trunk, or oil palm frond (Ofori and Hsieh ). Similarly, the encapsulation in alginate–inulin–xanthan prebiotic gum significantly enhanced cell viability of L. acidophilus DSM 20079 (Nazzaro and others ).…”

“…Moreover, it is important to examine the impact of natural ingredients on sensory properties and consumer acceptance (Boroski and others ), as well as whether daily intake of such functional beverages with high polyphenol content will influence the desired balance of intestinal microorganisms (Zhao and Shah 2014). On the other hand, many botanical extracts have antioxidant properties, making them sensitive to the presence of oxygen during storage or during manufacturing process (Gruenwald ); in this case, nonthermal processing techniques and reverse osmosis can show new ways of producing shelf‐stable fruit and vegetable products while preserving their antioxidant properties (Gunathilake and others ; Ofori and Hsieh ). A different approach was proposed by González‐Molina and others () as they added red fruit concentrates to lemon juice to protect vitamin C, keeping beneficial product properties throughout shelf‐life.…”

“…Some papers focus on the application of emerging technologies such as high‐pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric fields (PEF), and nanotechnology to improve the production of functional foods without compromising their sensory and functional properties (Ofori and Hsieh ). Cao and others () and Patras and others () found that HPP resulted in a higher retention of antioxidant components (for example, ascorbic acid, anthocyanins, and phenols), and hence higher antioxidant activity for HPP‐treated fruits and vegetables.…”

“…Nowadays, the range of functional foods includes products such as baby foods, baked goods and cereals, dairy foods, confectionery, ready meals, snacks, meat products, spreads, and beverages (Ofori and Hsieh ). In particular, beverages are by far the most active functional foods category because of (i) convenience and possibility to meet consumer demands for container contents, size, shape, and appearance; (ii) ease of distribution and better storage for refrigerated and shelf‐stable products; (iii) great opportunity to incorporate desirable nutrients and bioactive compounds (Sanguansri and Augustin ; Wootton‐Beard and Ryan ; Kausar and others ).…”