There has yet to be a consensus on the definition of functional foods (FF), and accordingly many institutions lack a comprehensive process for its classification. The Functional Food Center (FFC) has ...previously proposed a multi-step process for the development of functional food products and ways by which to bring them to market without means to classify established items. This article is advancing the previously proposed methodology with the addition of new steps. The newest steps focus on themes of transparency by the publishing of peer-reviewed articles for the functional food product as mandatory for accreditation. In doing so, this will provide greater access to information for the functional food market, as well as, acceptance and trustworthiness of functional claims. Additionally, the Functional Food Center has created a new system for categorizing functional foods. The new categorization system uses improved research on epidemiological and after market studies, and evaluates the quality of evidence for the functional food product (FFP) as A, B, or C. A classification of A denotes the completion of aftermarket research, epidemiological studies, and certification of functional food status. Classification B denotes completion of epidemiological studies and certification of functional food status. Lastly, C indicates that the product has only been certified as functional. The Functional Food Center’s definition of functional foods, steps on how to create functional foods, and proposed categorization will help to describe our proposed regulation of FFP. KEYWORDS: Functional Food Classification, Functional Food Regulation, Functional Food Products, Categorization Grades of Functional Food, How to Create Functional Food, Bioactive Compounds, Functional Food Definition
The dietary consumption of probiotics in the form of pharmaceuticals or functional food can improve human health and contribute to disease prevention. However, the biological activity and health ...potential of food-delivered probiotics can be severely compromised by the stress conditions encountered by the microorganisms throughout the manufacture process, from probiotic preparation to their inclusion into food, subsequent storage and ingestion. Here, we give an account of the stress factors that can have major negative impacts on probiotic viability and functionality, with a focus on food-related environmental adverse conditions. We also describe some of the mechanisms elicited by the microbial cells to counteract these stresses and summarize a few relevant approaches proposed in literature to develop more robust and competitive probiotics by enhancing their stress tolerance, with the aim to improve the efficacy and health value of probiotic functional food.
Abstract
In the industrialized world, functional foods have become a part of an everyday diet and are demonstrated to offer potential health benefits beyond the widely accepted nutritional effects. ...Currently, the most important and frequently used functional food compounds are probiotics and prebiotics, or they are collectively known as ‘synbiotics’. Moreover, with an already healthy image, dairy products appear to be an excellent mean for inventing nutritious foods. Such probiotic dairy foods beneficially affect the host by improving survival and implantation of live microbial dietary supplements in the gastrointestinal flora, by selectively stimulating the growth or activating the catabolism of one or a limited number of health-promoting bacteria in the intestinal tract, and by improving the gastrointestinal tract's microbial balance. Hence, the paper reviews the current scenario of probiotics and their prospective potential applications for functional foods for better health and nutrition of the society.
Fermented foods and beverages possess various nutritional and therapeutic properties. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play a major role in determining the positive health effects of fermented milks and ...related products. The L. acidophilus and Bifidobacteria spp are known for their use in probiotic dairy foods. Cultured products sold with any claim of health benefits should meet the criteria of suggested minimum number of more than 10⁶ cfu/g at the time of consumption. Yoghurt is redefined as a probiotic carrier food. Several food powders like yoghurt powder and curd (dahi) powder are manufactured taking into consideration the number of organisms surviving in the product after drying. Such foods, beverages and powders are highly acceptable to consumers because of their flavor and aroma and high nutritive value. Antitumor activity is associated with the cell wall of starter bacteria and so the activity remains even after drying. Other health benefits of fermented milks include prevention of gastrointestinal infections, reduction of serum cholesterol levels and antimutagenic activity. The fermented products are recommended for consumption by lactose intolerant individuals and patients suffering from atherosclerosis. The formulation of fermented dietetic preparations and special products is an expanding research area. The health benefits, the technology of production of fermented milks and the kinetics of lactic acid fermentation in dairy products are reviewed here.
In recent decades, functional foods with ingredients comprising probiotics, prebiotics and postbiotics have been gaining a lot of attention from scientists. Probiotics and postbiotics are usually ...applied in pharmaceutical formulations and/or commercial food-based products. These bioactive agents can be associated with host eukaryotic cells and have a key role in maintaining and restoring host health. The review describes the concept of postbiotics, their quality control and potential applications in pharmaceutical formulations and commercial food-based products for health promotion, prevention of disease and complementary treatment. Despite the effectiveness of probiotic products, researchers have introduced the concept of postbiotic to optimize their beneficial effects as well as to meet the needs of consumers to provide a safe product. The finding of recent studies suggests that postbiotics might be appropriate alternative agents for live probiotic cells and can be applied in medical, veterinary and food practice to prevent and to treat some diseases, promote animal health status and develop functional foods. Presently scientific literature confirms that postbiotics, as potential alternative agents, may have superiority in terms of safety relative to their parent live cells, and due to their unique characteristics in terms of clinical, technological and economical aspects, can be applied as promising tools in the drug and food industry for developing health benefits, and therapeutic aims.
The purpose of this research was to determine the best ratio of whey protein isolate (WPI) for encapsulation of black pepper (Piper nigrum) essential oil (BPEO) on ultrasound-assisted emulsion. O/W ...emulsion was made from the oil phase from BPEO and corn oil (30:70) and the aqueous phase was made from the liquid modified glucomannan. The effect of WPI was investigated at different ratios (T0= 0%, T1= 2%, T2= 4%, T3= 6%,). BPEO emulsion was prepared using an ultrasonication method with the intention for produce nanoemulsion. The method of this research was an experiment with a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) by using four treatments and three replications, then continued by Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The physical characteristics were observed by viscosity and optical microscope. DPPH scavenging activity was used to know the effect of encapsulation on antioxidant activities. The Antibacterial activity was evaluated by the Kirby Bauer method with E. coli as the pathogen bacteria and L. casei as the probiotic bacteria. The increase ratio of WPI influences morphology. Different ratio of WPI gave a highly significant effects (p<0.01) on the viscosity and antioxidant, and gave no significant effects (p>0.05) on the inhibition diameter zone for E. coli and L. casei. Based on its physical characteristic, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial properties, it can be concluded that WPI can protect the BPEO by stabilizing O/W emulsion and may have the potential to be used as an alternative natural antioxidant and antibacterial additive in many food applications.
Chitin is the most abundant natural amino polysaccharide, showing various practical applications owing to its functional properties. However, there are barriers in the development due to the ...difficulty of chitin extraction and purification, regarding its high crystallinity and low solubility. In recent years, some novel technologies such as microbial fermentation, ionic liquid, electrochemical extraction have emerged for the green extraction of chitin from new sources. Furthermore, nanotechnology, dissolution systems and chemical modification were applied to develop a variety of chitin-based biomaterials. Remarkably, chitin was used in delivering active ingredients and developing functional foods for weight loss, lipid reduction, gastrointestinal health, and anti-aging. Moreover, the application of chitin-based materials was expanded into medicine, energy and the environment. This review outlined the emerging extraction methods and processing routes of different chitin sources and advances in applying chitin-based materials. We aimed to provide some direction for the multi-disciplinary production and application of chitin.
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•Toxigenic fungi were recovered in functional foods and spices.•Contamination levels of mycotoxins were determined by HPLC-FLD.•Aspergillus and Penicillium were the predominant fungi.•Some samples ...were found to be positive with mycotoxins, especially AFB1.
Twenty-four samples including 14 functional foods and 10 spices obtained from Chinese markets were examined for their mould profile. The mycotoxin contamination levels were also determined by an optimized HPLC-FLD method. 124 fungal isolates belonging to four different genera were recovered with Aspergillus and Penicillium as predominant fungi, with an incidence of 66.1% and 15.3%, respectively. In functional foods Aspergillus niger section (57.1%) was isolated more frequently, followed by Aspergillus flavi section (50.0%) and Aspergillus ochraceus section (21.4%), with the most contaminated samples being Coix seeds. Similar fungal presence and frequency were encountered in spice with A. niger section group (60.0%) and A. flavi section (40.0%) as main fungi. Cumin and Pricklyash peel samples showed the highest fungal contamination. Four functional foods and three spices were found to be positive at low levels for mycotoxins including aflatoxin B1 (up to 0.26μg/kg) and ochratoxin A (OTA) (5.0μg/kg). The more frequently detected mycotoxin was AFB1 (16.7%).
In response to the rising demand for functional foods driven by health-conscious consumers, a robust regulatory framework is imperative. The absence of specific guidelines creates uncertainties for ...both manufacturers and consumers. In response to the rising demand for functional foods driven by health-conscious consumers, a robust regulatory framework is imperative. The absence of specific guidelines creates uncertainties for both manufacturers and consumers. This article discusses the Functional Food Center's pioneering 17-step approval processfor functional foods, emphasizing scientific validation and transparent communication. However, challenges persist within the FDA approval system, including a protracted timeline and the lack of a dedicated category for functional foods. Drawing inspiration from the efficient kosher labeling system, the Functional Food Center could serve as a certification agency. Certified functional foods could display a designated symbol, ensuring credibility and trustworthiness. This approach streamlines the approval process, fostering innovation, ensuring consumer safety, and meeting the evolving health needs of consumers in a transparent, credible, and regulated functional food market.Keywords:Functional Food Classification, Functional Food Regulation, Functional Food Products, Bioactive Compounds, Functional Food Safety, Kosher Labeling Model, Regulatory Paradigm.
: Bioactive peptides (BAPs), derived through enzymatic hydrolysis of food proteins, have demonstrated potential for application as health‐promoting agents against numerous human health and disease ...conditions, including cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and cancer. The feasibility of pharmacological application of these peptides depends on absorption and bioavailability in intact forms in target tissues, which in turn depends on structure of the peptides. Therefore, production and processing of peptides based on important structure‐function parameters can lead to the production of potent peptides. This article reviews the literature on BAPs with emphasis on strategic production and processing methods as well as antihypertensive, anticancer, anticalmodulin, hypocholesterolemic, and multifunctional properties of the food protein‐derived peptides. It is recommended that future research efforts on BAP should be directed toward elucidation of their in vivo molecular mechanisms of action, safety at various doses, and pharmacological activity in maintaining homeostasis during aberrant health conditions in human subjects.
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