The market for functional foods is steadily expanding as more people worldwide realize the value of the daily consumption of healthy foods in maintaining good health. Recent studies have revealed new functional compounds in foods. Genetically modified foods will soon be commercially available. This book discusses the characteristics of functional foods and the health benefits of ingredients including ginger, herbs, probiotics, mushrooms, and dairy products. It also provides new ideas for the production of new functional foods and managing health through the daily diet.

The first edition of Functional foods: Concept to product quickly established itself as an authoritative and wide-ranging guide to the functional foods area. There has been a remarkable amount of research into health-promoting foods in recent years and the market for these types of products has also developed. Thoroughly revised and updated, this major new edition contains over ten additional chapters on significant topics including omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, consumers and health claims and functional foods for obesity prevention.Part one provides an overview of key general issues including definitions of functional foods and legislation in the EU, the US and Asia. Part two focuses on functional foods and health investigating conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity and infectious diseases as well as and the impact of functional foods on cognition and bone health. Part three looks at the development of functional food products. Topics covered include maximising the functional benefits of plant foods, dietary fibre, functional dairy and soy products, probiotics and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).With its distinguished editors and international team of expert contributors, Functional foods: Concept to product is a valuable reference tool for health professionals and scientists in the functional foods industry and to students and researchers interested in functional foods. Provides an overview of key general issues including definitions of functional foods and legislation in the EU, the US and Asia Focuses on functional foods and health investigating conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity and infectious diseases Examines the development of functional food products featuring maximising the functional benefits of plant foods, dietary fibre, functional dairy and soy products

The Europiiische Akademie is concerned with the study of scientific and technolog ical advances for the individual, society and the natural environment. The work of the academy is interdisciplinary drawing on relevant academic disciplines so far as they can inform the debate on consequences and suggest solutions. This book is dedicated to the issue of Functional Foods, a rather topical issue with important ramifications for the overall quality of life. It is the result of the Europiiische Akademie's working group "Functional Foods" which worked from January 2001 to June 2003. Since the times of Hippocrates, we view "food as our medicine, and medicine as our food"; a view that is confirmed by nowadays science which agrees that diet is related to health, well-being and the prevention of disease. At the same time, food related diseases have reached epidemic proportions in western societies while obe sity is spreading rapidly in all parts and strata of modern society. The cost for the health system is significant while the reduction in quality of life is immeasurable.

Global health and the increasing incidence of various diseases are a cause for concern, and doctors and scientists reason that the diet, food habits and lifestyle are contributing factors. Processed food has reduced the nutritional value of our diet, and although supplementing foods with various additives is considered an alternative, the long-term impact of this is not known. Many laboratories around the world are working to identify various nutritional components in our daily food and their effect on human health. These have been classified as Nutraceuticals or functional food, and they may have preventive and therapeutic effects in a number of pathologies associated with modern dietary habits and lifestyles. This book addresses various aspects of this issue, revitalizing the discussion and consolidating the latest research on nutritional and functional food and their effects in in-vitro, in-vivo and human clinical studies.

Superfood is a food that contains active ingredients or important nutrients at extremely high levels. Protective effects of superfoods on diseases have been remarked. Recently, several foods such as camu camu, chia seeds and goji berries are well known, and their trade has been rapidly increasing in the past 10 years. The purpose of this book is the development of a novel concept of superfoods and diet-containing superfoods. In the chapters, researchers have introduced the active components of superfoods and diets using such foods. Superfoods derived from fish and by-products of beer brewing are also introduced. Moreover, the procedure of bio-accessibility is also considered. I expect that the readers understand this novel concept of superfoods.

According to an August 2009 report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, the United States market for functional foods in 2007 was US$ 27 billion. Forecasts of growth range from between 8.5% and 20% per year, or about four times that of the food industry in general. Global demand by 2013 is expected to be about $100 billion. With this demand for new products comes a demand for product development and supporting literature for that purpose. There is a wealth of research and development in this area and great scope for commercialization, and this book provides a much-needed review of important opportunities for new products, written by authors with in-depth knowledge of as yet unfulfilled health-related needs. This book addresses functional food product development from a number of perspectives: the process itself; health research that may provide opportunities; idea creation; regulation; and processes and ingredients. It also features case studies that illustrate real product development and commercialization histories. Written for food scientists and technologists, this book presents practical information for use in functional food product development. It is an essential resource for practitioners in functional food companies and food technology centres and is also of interest to researchers and students of food science. Key features: A comprehensive review of the latest opportunities in this commercially important sector of the food industry Includes chapters highlighting functional food opportunities for specific health issues such as obesity, immunity, brain health, heart disease and the development of children. New technologies of relevance to functional foods are also addressed, such as emulsion delivery systems and nanoencapsulation. Includes chapters on product design and the use of functional ingredients such as antioxidants, probiotics and prebiotics as well as functional ingredients from plant and dairy sources Specific examples of taking products to market are provided in the form of case studies e.g. microalgae functional ingredients Part of the Functional Food Science and Technology book series (Series Editor: Fereidoon Shahidi)

INTRODUCTION The Functional Food Center has successfully held 24 International Conferences, including this one, since 2004. We take special interest in enabling (providing) the assimilation of scientific knowledge at our conferences under the series "Functional Foods and Chronic Diseases: Science and Practice." The 24th International Conference was held September 20th through September 21st, in Boston, MA, USA. This conference is titled "Functional Foods, Nutrition and Chronic Diseases: Science and Practice." Main Conference Sessions and Topics Include: 1.Functional Food Definition, Status, and Regulation 2.Biomarkers, Bioinformatics, Bioactive Molecules for Development of Functional Foods 3.Functional Foods Consumption: Product Development, Marketing and Consumer acceptance 4.Functional Foods and Bioactive Compound(s): Prevention and Management of Non-communicable Diseases 5.Nutrition and Functional Foods for Patients with Prediabetes and Diabetes 6.Bioactive Compounds in Health and Disease 7.Functional Food Ingredients: Sources and Potential Benefits in Public Health 8.Current Research and Development of New Functional Food Products The Functional Food Center's research has allowed modern society to evade the side effects of modern pharmaceuticals and the problems associated with treating chronic diseases through surgical procedures. Presented in this book are scientists, food manufacturers, and healthcare professionals who are committed to functional food research that have brought together ideas and research to treat chronic illnesses and improve the quality of life through the utilization of functional foods with bioactive compounds. This book presents the discovery, sources, potential health benefits, and safety aspects of bioactive compounds and functional foods for health and disease, in addition to, the scientific research and development of novel functional food products. This issue not only preserves the numerous scientific concepts and contributions made in the field of functional food, but also lays the foundation for a field of science that will undoubtedly expand, logarithmically, in the coming years, changing modern society's relationship with medicine. Danik M. Martirosyan, Ph.D., President of Functional Food Center/ Functional Food Institute, Dallas, TX, USA Jin-Rong (Joseph) Zhou, Ph.D, Associate Professor of Surgery, Director of Nutrition/Metabolism Laboratory at Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA