Chapters authored
Sustainable Drying Technologies for the Development of Functional Foods and Preservation of Bioactive Compounds
Nowadays, the sustainability of a product, a process or a system is assessed according to three dimensions: environmental, social and economic. Sustainability challenges occur at all stages in the food system from production through processing, distribution and retailing to consumption and waste disposal. The promotion of organic and local food is not the only way to reach the sustainability. There is other possibility that implies to continue the production hegemony. Increasing research is being focused on the development of healthy, quality and safety food products adapted to consumer’s needs and more environment-friendly processes, that is, processes consuming energy more efficiently, generating less waste and emitting less greenhouse effect gases. Drying technology is applied in the food industry not only for preservation but also to manufacture foods with certain characteristics. Drying technology operations need to be precisely controlled and optimized in order to produce a good-quality product with the highest level of nutrient retention and flavor together with microbial safety. This chapter contains detailed information about some measurements taken by the food industry to ensure the supply of bioactive nutrients to as many individuals as possible, assuring the global sustainability. More specifically, the contribution of some drying techniques employed in the development of functional foods to increase the sustainability of the feeding process is discussed.
Part of the book: Sustainable Drying Technologies
Probiotics and Other Bioactive Compounds with Proven Effect against Obesity and Hypertension: Food Design Opportunities from Lulo Fruit (Solanum quitoense)
This book chapter aims to identify those bioactive compounds that are the most effective in obesity and hypertension prevention and/or treatment, these being the two main disorders associated with metabolic syndrome. Focusing on probiotics and phytochemicals, the document will provide evidences from both in vitro and in vivo studies as well as information about the action mechanisms and how they are affected by the interaction with other food ingredients, the food matrix in which they are placed, etc. Given its high antioxidant capacity, in part due to its spermidine content, lulo fruit has generated considerable interest among health researchers. This, together with its exotic organoleptic properties, offers interesting growth opportunities for the design of new food products from lulo fruit. This book chapter will also discuss some of them.
Part of the book: Nutraceuticals