Biblid: 1450-5029 (2008) 12; 3; p.

97 - 100
UDK: 664

Pregledni rad
Review

FUNCTIONAL FOODS: TRENDS, PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES

FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY
FUNKCIONALNA HRANA: TRENDOVI, IZGLEDI I IZAZOVI
ZA INDUSTRIJU HRANE
Dr Costas, G. BILIADERIS
Department of Food Science & Technology, Faculty of Agriculture
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, e-mail: biliader@agro.auth.gr

SUMMARY
Consumers currently demand that food products offer not only organoleptic qualities (e.g. taste) but also health benefits. Efforts
for new product development are being directed towards the newly emerging area of functional foods; these are products with
health enhancing properties beyond the provision of essential nutrients. Functional foods can take many forms; some may be conventional products with bioactive components and other may be fortified to reduce disease risk for a certain group of people. Research
currently underway at academic, industry and government facilities reveals how numerous constituents can serve as functional ingredients in food matrices or as supplements-remedies in pure form (nutraceuticals). Constituents from conventional and nontraditional plant and animal sources offer indeed unlimited opportunities for the creation of acceptable and marketable functional
products. The future of functional foods will strongly depend on further advances of our knowledge in structure-function relations of
food bioactives, innovative technologies for effective formulation and delivery of bioactives to different parts of the digestive system,
enhanced sensorial quality and shelf-life of the product, establishment of proper regulatory framework to facilitate labelling claims
and improved consumer understanding of health related benefits. This review paper aims to discuss the key issues surrounding the
functional foods arena by considering the definition, the bioactive components, the development and the market drivers of functional
products as well as the trends, opportunities and challenges the food industry faces on its way to translate basic-applied nutritional
research and technology innovations (e.g. microencapsulation, nanoparticle technology, active packaging, etc.) into safe and health
benefiting products for the consumer.
Key words: functional food FF, nutritional concept, functional ingredients, technology innovation.

IZVOD
Potroai stalno zahtevaju od hrane da prui ne samo organoleptiki kvalitet (na primer ukus), nego da je korisna za zdravlje.
Napori koji se ulau u razvoj novog proizvoda su usmereni na pojavljivanje nove oblasti oznaene kao funkcionalna hrana; to su
proizvodi sa poveanim osobinama koje pozitivno utiu na zdravlje, a pri tome imaju i dalje esencijana nutritivna svojstva.
Funkcionalna hrana ima vie oblika; to moe biti konvencionalna hrana sa bioaktivnim komponentama ili moe biti ojaana tako
da smanjuje rizik pojave neke bolesti za odreene grupe ljudi. Istraivanja koja se trenutno izvode na akademskom i industrijskom
nivou,ili na nivou dravnih organa, obelodanjuju kako brojni konstituenti mogu da slue kao funkcionalni sastojci u matrici hrane ili
kao dodaci u hrani i to u istom formi. Sastojci iz konvencionalnih i netradicionalnih biljnih i ivotinjskih izvora, zaista nude
neograniene mogunosti za kreiranje prihvatljive i marketinki opravdane funkcionalne proizvode. Budunost funkcionalne hrane e
strogo zavisiti od daljeg unapreenja naeg saznanja. o strukturi i funkcionalnim odnosima hrane i bioaktiva, od inovativnih
tehnologija za efektivnim formulacijama i mogunostima bioaktivnih materija da se dostave do odreenih delova digestivnog
sistema, od poveanja senzorskih osobina i duine vremena skladitenja shelf-life, od ustanovljavanja zakonske regulative koja
treba da obezbedi odgovaraje oznaavanje takve hrane i od povienog nivoa obavetavanja potroaa o njihovomn zdravlju i
korisnosti primene funkcionalne hrane. Ovaj pregledni rad ima za cilj da diskutuje o kljunim takama u vezu funkcionalne hrane, da
uzme u obzir definiciju ovog pojma, bioaktivne komponente, razvoj i trite funkcionalnih proizvoda, kao i trendove, mogunosti i
izazove sa kojima se susree industrija hrane na svom putu prenoenja fundamentalnih i primenjenih rezultata istraivanja u
inovacione tehnologije (na primer mikroenkapsulacija, tehnologija nano estica, aktivno pakovanje i dr) koje e obezbediti
zdravstveno bezbedne proizvode za potroae.
Kljune rei: funkcionalna hrana FP, concept ishrane, funkcionalni sastojci, tehnoloke inovacije.

INTRODUCTION
During the last decade the nutritional science has developed
new views on the role of the diet beyond basic requirements for
normal body functions1. This increased awareness of the physiological activity of food components and their role in our wellbeing has fostered the introduction of functional foods (FF). The
populations of most developed countries are rapidly aging. In
spite of the increase in health consciousness, a growing number
of adults suffer from the so-called diseases of affluence. As a
result there is a growing interest in the potential for using diet to
lower the risk of chronic diseases like coronary heart diseases
(CHD), cancer, osteoporosis etc. Even younger people with busy
lifestyles are keen to invest in the personal health making
choices for quick and convenient meals that help to maintain
their well-being or even prevent illness and at the same time,
taste good. The development and marketing of FF is the food
industrys response to the consumers demand for foods that are

PTEP 12(2008) 3

both attractive and healthy. Of course, food means different

things to different people, and taste, convenience, extended
shelf-life, safety and health all play an important role in influencing food choices consumers make on a daily basis.

DEVELOPMENT OF FUNCTIONAL
FOODS
It is important to note that the concept of FF did not develop
quickly; instead, they can be viewed as products of a multi-step
evolution process with discrete achievements in the post-harvest
food technology field2. In the 70s, foods were first introduced
that were less processed to approach the wholesomeness of raw
materials and this trend was followed by products enriched with
vitamins (e.g. milk fortified with vitamins A, D) to improve
health. In the 80s, it was recognized that over-consumption of
calories from fat and carbohydrates was a major contributing
factor, along with the lack of exercise, to the higher incidence

97

rate of obesity and other chronic diseases. This resulted in the

development of food products that were less- evil (low fat, low
sugar, reduced salt and cholesterol-free products) and marketed
with relevant food labeling information to make food choices
easier for consumers. In the 90s, new initiatives were brought
forward to generate products with specific functions following
scientific advancements in the nutritional sciences field on the
links between food and health; these foods, known as functional
foods (FF), contain specific value-added ingredients (also known
in isolated forms as nutraceuticals) that may act to prevent diseases and enhance the health and wellness of consumers.

DEFINITION OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS

There is a great deal of controversy about how FF can be distinguished from conventional foods. For example, for most consumers, orange juice is orange juice. However, this product, being the subject of several clinical studies which demonstrate that
its flavonoids can change favorably the human lipid profile upon
consumption, is viewed as FF. The definition of FF is a contentious issue and most regulatory agencies do not recognize FF as
a nutritional entity. Even in Japan, where FF originated, the term
itself is not adopted because it is agreed that all foods are functional3. Generally, FF can be defined as any food product that
is marketed or perceived to deliver a healthy benefit, in addition
to its basic nutritional value. To distinguish between FF and
nutraceuticals, the latter according to Health Canada are defined
as products derived from foods and sold as powders, liquid
extracts, pills or other medicinal forms that are not generally associated with food, but they do demonstrate physiological benefits or protection against chronic diseases. In Japan, the definition of FOSHU (Foods for Specialized Health Use) provides
the essence of what makes a food functional: A food (not a capsule, tablet or powder) derived from naturally occurring ingredients that can and should be consumed as part of the daily
diet. This definition states that FF provide certain functions
when consumed, related to regulation of body processes such as
: (a) enhancement of biological defense mechanisms, (b) prevention of a specific disease, (c) recovery from a specific disease,
(d) control of physical and mental conditions, and (e) slowing
the aging process. It is worth noting, however, that prevention
of disease is classified as a drug claim in the US, Canada and
other countries.
Overall, FF exists in many forms. Raw foods can be functional if they contain endogenous constituents with well proven
health benefits (e.g. tomatoes rich in lycopene that may reduce
the risk of prostate cancer). Processed tomato products or many
cereal-based foods (known for lowering blood serum cholesterol
and modulating postprandial blood glucose and insulin levels) as
well as beverage-formatted drinks with phytosterols (clinically
proven to reduce cholesterol) or calcium-enriched orange juice
(for reducing the risk of osteoporosis), can all be classified as
functional.

FUNCTIONAL FOOD DEVELOPMENT

AND MARKETING
The development and marketing of functional foods is driven
by a number of key factors (Fig. 1). An increasing number of
consumers are becoming more aware that illnesses such as CHD,
diabetes, obesity and even certain types of cancer are dietrelated. There is also increased number of aging people who
consciously are taking the responsibility for managing the health
problems by watching their diets. Moreover, there is considerable pressure on governments and healthcare organizations to
reduce hospitalization and healthcare costs; i.e. better to prevent rather than cure. For example, it has been estimated that
consumption of phytosterol-fortified foods has the potential of
saving $150 million/year in healthcare cost in UK alone. Clinical
support for proof of efficacy coupled with commercially-feasible

98

technological solutions, are also critical issues in the development of successful functional products. In this respect, product
differentiation is important to promote growth and improve the
market share of a company.
1

Awareness
Awareness of
of
health
health // diet
diet
link
link

Pressure
Pressure to
to
reduce
reduce
2
healthcare
healthcare
costs
costs

Aging
Aging populations
populations

Functional Food
Growth

Scientific
Scientific
improvements
improvements

Manufacturers
Manufacturers
seeking
seeking
product
product
differentiation
differentiation

Fig. 1. Market drivers for Functional Foods

(adapted from ref. 2).
Sl. 1. Zahtevi trita postavljeni pred funkcionalnom hranom
(1. bojazan za zdravlje dijete; 2. zahtevi za smanjenje trokova
zdravstvene zatite; 3. zahtevi proizvoaa funkcionalne hrane
za promociju razliite hrane; 4. zahtevi za naunim i klinikim
potvrdama o funkcionalnoj hrani; 5. zahtevi starije populacije za
hranom koja reava neke zdravstvene tegobe)
Overall, FF development involves several distinct stages
from concept to successful market implementation under the
synergistic alliance of various stakeholders, representing research, industry, regulatory and consumer interests4. The process
is depicted in Fig. 2 and usually commences from the creation of
an idea of a novel diet-disease concept. Such concepts may
originate from research performed in industrial or academic environments and could arise from a massed evidence or from previous similar successful processes (products). Teams of academics working closely with business interests provide the grounds
for taking forward an optimal concept product through the successive elements of the innovation cycle. Following concept
generation, the next step is to develop a real-world test product
that embraces the concept; this may represent a considerable
challenge in formulation strategies or processing and stability
issues (e.g. incorporation of -3 fatty acids in an aqueous phase
of a product, the introduction of phytosterols in a fat spread or
the production of a probiotic-enriched yoghurt with live culture).
In many instances, the product and processes must be carefully
designed to possess acceptable organoleptic qualities. Expression of the nutrition-health concept in the formulated product
needs to be verified through testing of its biological efficacy.
The reasons to test for physiological action of bioactive ingredients in properly designed food matrices are several. Stability delivery through the digestive tract and absorption processes of
bioactives are all influenced by the food matrix. For example,
among several products fortified with plant sterols, the milk matrix, compared to bread, cereal and yoghurt, was shown three
times more effective as a food delivery system to reduce LDL
cholesterol levels5. Moreover, the requirement for a minimum
(threshold) dosage to achieve biological efficacy may not be met
with an inappropriate matrix throughout the digestion process.
Champagne et al.6 commented on the survival issue of probiotic
bacterial during passage through the acidic environment of the
stomach; this constitutes a major concern to manufacturers of
fermented foods with probiotic cultures. It is also a challenge to
conduct efficacy assessments with in vitro or in vivo systems.
Cell systems provide basic metabolic information on cellular responses to the addition of bioactive compounds. However, there

PTEP 12(2008) 3

is often a need to establish a whole body of physiological evidence using animal or even human systems by properly conducted clinical trials. Confirmation of efficacy with human studies indeed provides strong evidence to support health claims that
are product specific. Dissemination of the observed physiological activities of bioactives through publications in peer-reviewed
journals is the most widely accepted avenue to distribute new
knowledge and to create an interest and positive position for a
given functional food ingredient.
1

7
3

Fig. 2. Functional Foods and the promotion of new nutritional

concepts cycle of innovation (adapted from ref. 4).
Sl. 2. Ciklus potrebnih inovacija (aktivnost) za promociju novih
nutritivnih koncepata i funkcionalne hrane FH
(1. generalni koncept nove ideje; razvoj proizvoda putem
stvarnih trokova; 3. sigurnost i uspeno dejstvo (istraivanja na
nivou elije ivotinja i ljudi); 4. dokazi o razliitim efektima; 5.
publikovanje naunih dostignua; 6. prenoenje novih saznanja
putem medija, zakonske regulative; 7. zainteresovanost kupaca;
8. rast industrije FH dostupnost na tritu)
Communication of the health messages generated from research and compliance with regulatory issues are the next steps
in the innovation cycle. Globally, the regulatory systems vary
widely with some countries like Japan allowing currently over
than 500 FF, while other countries such as Canada and the European Union posing strong restrictions on health claims. Regardless of the restrictions imposed in different jurisdictions, the
process of regulatory review shares common features, by focusing on the provision of sound peer-reviewed research data for
efficacy and safety and their compliance to a set of criteriarequirements for permission of a certain health claim. Given that
consumer perception and interest about the product is generated,
the stimulation of the market and the placement of the industry
on a competitive edge will close the innovative cycle. This will
further stimulate additional concept-ideas to be taken through
the multiple elements of a new cycle and strengthen the growth
and sustainability of the food industrial sector.

SOME EXAMPLES OF KEY

FUNCTIONAL INGREDIENTS
FUNCTIONAL FOODS
Phytosterols and phytostanols are lipid-like compounds
found in the vegetable oils and coniferous trees; these plant constituents are chemically similar to cholesterol and they exhibit
competitive inhibition of intestinal absorption of cholesterol.
Numerous clinical studies support that both sterols and stanols as
well as their fatty acid esters have similar abilities to lower total
cholesterol by 7-9% on ingestion of 3-6 g/day. Most of the published data indicate that a daily intake of 2-3 g of phytosterols

PTEP 12(2008) 3

also lower the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentration by 10-15%2,7. At this level of LDL lowering, a reduction in heart disease risk of 25% would be expected in the general population. There are at least three possible mechanisms of
action for phytosterol induced lowering of serum cholesterol,
and additional protective effects on proliferation of colonocytes
(linked with reduced cancer risk) have been also suggested.
Sterols and stanols are presently found in many functional
products including fat spreads, yoghurts and other fermented
dairy and non-dairy products, rye bread, etc., and over the past
5-7 years a number of health claims have been approved for
these products in US, Canada, Australia, Japan and Europe2,8.
Sterols and stanols are generally recognized as safe, with one
important concern related to the potential interference with absorption of fat-soluble nutrients (e.g. carotenoids) if consumed in
large amounts daily. Overall, it is generally accepted that the
consumption of 1-2 g of sterols daily will lead to beneficial effects in lowering serum cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol levels
without causing any adverse effects.
Dietary fiber is the endogenous part of plant materials in the
diet that resists to digestion by human enzymes found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. It mostly includes cellulose, hemicelluloses and other mucilages-gums, pectins and lignin. All these
poorly digested materials by humans seem to have a number of
beneficial physiological effects in the digestive tract. Dietary
fibers are classified as soluble and insoluble. The use of the
soluble fiber (-glucans) from oat bran in cardiovascular risk
management was the first health claim allowed under the US
Dietary Supplement Health Education Act in the early 90s.
There are now specific -glucan claims for oat and barley, in US
(FDA) and Canada, and oat-derived product (bran, flours ect.)
claims in UK, Finland and Sweden. Moreover, many fiberfortified foods have government-backed FOSHU status for their
health benefits in Japan9,10.
Consumption of soluble fiber has been shown to lower LDLcholesterol levels through a series of processes that alter cholesterol and glucose metabolism. The mechanism of action is
thought to involve increasing fecal bile acid excretion and interference with bile acid re-absorption. The fermentation of fiber in
the colon by intestinal flora leads to production of short-chain
fatty acids (SCFA: acetate, propionate, butyrate) and gases. The
SCFA not only provide fuel for the colonocytes, but their production is related to lower serum cholesterol and decreased risk
of colon cancer (particularly in the case of butyrate production).
Undigested fibers also increase fecal wet weight and speed intestinal transit. Eating insoluble fiber has been also shown to reduce
the risk of developing constipation, colitis, and even hemorrhoids. High fiber diets, both soluble and insoluble components,
are shown by many clinical data to effectively control (moderate) the post-prandrial glucose and insulin blood levels, becoming suitable for both types of diabetics, I and II. Indeed, soluble
dietary fiber, such as oat -glucan, psyllium, and guar gum have
been recommended for improvement of postprandial insulin and
glucose metabolism, in addition to antihyperlipidemic effects.
These viscous polysaccharides in a composite food matrix can
slow down the rate of carbohydrate digestion and absorption
(low Glycemic Index products); inverse relationships have been
shown between postprandial blood glucose and insulin responses
and the viscosity of the liquid products consumed10. For soluble
oat and barley -glucans, an efficacious dose of 3 g/day has been
recommended by FDA for reduction of CHD risk.
The great challenge to the food industry in formulating fiber-enriched products is to accomplish this goal without sacrificing the organoleptic appeal (color, flavor, texture, mouthfeel).
These objectives can be achieved by understanding the structural
and physicochemical basics of fiber functionality (from both
technological and physiological viewpoint). New forms of dietary fiber, e.g. resistant starches, offer unique opportunities in

99

this respect, with a broad spectrum of bioactivities and texture

modulating properties. The bland flavor, white color, low hydroscopicity, low water binding capacity and the thermal stability of
this group of fibers enable their utilization as low-calorie ingredients that are easily incorporated in numerous product recipes,
without altering the basic hedonic properties of the food matrix10-12.
The area of probiotics is one of the most sophisticated approaches to customizing health benefits of FF; i.e. healthpromoting bacteria (such as those found in milk, yoghurt and
other fermented products) that may favorably alter the floral
composition of the gut by competition13. This will not only improve digestion, but also provides protection against gastrointestinal infections by boosting immunity, controlling antagonistically pathogenic organisms in the gut, and improving the
bioavailability of nutrients. Conversely, prebiotics (indigestible
non-viable food components) alter the bacterial composition of
the gut by becoming selective fermentation substrates for the
beneficial bacteria in the lower part of the GI tract. Positive
health benefits of probiotic-prebiotic mixtures in food products
include reduction in serum cholesterol, improvement of lactose
metabolism - treatment of diarrhea, protection from gastrointestinal diseases, specific immune-enhancing effects, etc. Although
the initial thinking has been that the presence of one type of bacteria rather than another in the gut is adequate to produce such
effects, more recent evidence suggests that secondary fermentation products (e.g. SCFA, bioactive peptides) may also contribute to the health benefits of these systems2,7,13. Several strains of
Lactobacilus and Bifidobacterium have been employed to generate functional products with live cultures; some of these products
contain a mixture of probiotic strains. For yoghurt to be considered as a probiotic product, L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium and
L. casei are incorporated as dietary adjuncts; e.g. products such
as Yakult contain the L. acidophilus Shirota strain. However, the
normal practice in making probiotic fermented dairy products
with regular starter cultures, Str. thermophilus and L. delbrueckii
ssp. bulgaricus, is to use them with one or more species of probiotic bacteria. Probiotics in food products is showing the greatest growth potential over the next five years; the current US
market alone for probiotic-infused yoghurt drinks is pegged at $
12 billion and expected to reach $ 15 billion in 2010.

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION FOR NEW

NUTRITIONAL CONCEPTS
The efficacy of FF is based on bioactive compounds, which
may be contained naturally in the product or require specific
formulation and application of appropriate technologies to optimize the desired beneficial properties, to enhance stability during processing and storage, and to improve delivery at the target
site(s) in the body14. Emerging technologies such as microencapsulation, new packaging strategies etc. might offer solutions to
many technical challenges in formulating with bioactives in the
FF arena. For example, microencapsulation of -3 lipids with a
nanoscale level coating to protect them from light, oxygen, temperature and acidity offers an effective delivery strategy to supply a complete daily requirement of these lipids in a single serving without any compromise in taste or aroma (avoiding the development of off-flavor oxidation products and fishy taste). The
same technology can be applied to enhance the delivery of viable
cells (probiotics) and facilitate their controlled release in the GI
tract. Co-entrapment (co-encapsulation) of mixtures of bioactives to protect them from interactions with the food matrix or
oxygen during storage, and enhance their functionality on ingestion is also feasible in this context. Bioactive peptides, such as
bacteriocins, are good candidates for co-encapsulation with probiotic bacteria to complement their antimicrobial activities, especially if the health target is protection against diarrhea15.

100

Nanoparticles, due to their subcellular size, offer promising

means of improving the bioavailability of nutraceuticals, especially poorly soluble molecules such as functional lipids (carotenoids, -3 fatty acids, phytosterols), natural antioxidants, and
numerous other compounds that exhibit physiological functionality16. Advances in active packaging also offer possibilities to
extent shelf-life, improve efficacy and allow for controlled release rates of the carried antimicrobials or other bioactive compounds. In summary, co-encapsulation not only offers the possibility of introducing multiple bioactives, but it also enables the
creative selection of ingredients that will act synergistically in
the gut environment.

CONCLUSIONS
Functional foods are a new category of products that attract
the attention of consumers, food manufacturers and regulatory
authorities. Several of these products with well-proven efficacy
(e.g. those containing phytosterols, fibers, antioxidants, probiotic
cultures and other nutraceuticals) have gained popularity on the
global market and offered continued growth, product diversification (added-value), and sustainability to the food manufacturing
sector. For many bioactives, there is sufficient scientific evidence to link their consumption with certain health benefits. In
contrast, for other ingredients there is still a need for more research and further clinical evidence to prove their physiological
functionality. However, health claims of any type must be based
on science and not science fiction. Greater fundamental understanding at a molecular level is also required for the newly
emerging technologies on the development of effective delivery
systems involving nanoparticles to broaden the applicability of
these approaches and to ensure safety and compliance with regulatory issues.

REFERENCES
[1] Schmidl, M.K. and Labuza, T.P. (2000). Essentials of Functional Foods. Aspen Publicers Inc., Gaithersburg, Maryland,
USA.
[2] Zawistowski, J. and Kitts, D.D. (2004). Clinical Nutrition
Rounds 4(4), 1-4.
[3] Katan, M.B. and De Roos, N.M. (2004). Crit. Rev. Food
Sci. Nutr. 44, 369-377.
[4] Jones, P.J. and Jew, S. (2007). Trends Food Sci. Technol.
18, 387-390.
[5] Clifton, P.M., Noakes, M., Sullivan, D., Erichsen, N., Ross,
D., Annison, G., et al. (2004). J. Clin. Nutr. 58, 503-509.
[6] Champagne, C.P., Gardner, N.G., Roy, D. (2005). Crit. Rev.
Food Sci. Nutr. 45, 61-84.
[7] Jones, P. (2002). Can. Med. Assoc. J. 166(12), 1555-1563.
[8] Fernandes, P. and Cabral, J.M.S. (2007). Bioresourse Technol. 98, 2335-2350.
[9] 9. Redgwell, R. and Fischer, M. (2005). Mol. Nutr. Food
Res. 49, 521-535.
[10] Biliaderis, C.G. and Izydorczyk, M.S. (2007). Functional
Food Carbohydrates, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
[11] Sajilata, M.G., Singhal, R.S., Kulkarni, P.R. (2006). J. Food
Sci. 5, 1-17.
[12] Brouns, F., Kettlitz, B., Arrigoni, E. (2002). Trends Food
Sci. Technol. 12, 251-261.
[13] Shah, N.P. (2007). Int. Dairy J. 17, 1262-1277.
[14] Chen, L., Remondetto, E., Subirade, M. (2006). Trends
Food Sci. Technol. 17, 272-283.
[15] Champagne, C.P. and Fustier, P. (2007). Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 18, 184-190.
[16] Weiss, J., Takhistov, P., McClements, J. (2006). Food
Technol. 60(11), 22-26.
Primljeno: 11.4.2008.

Prihvaeno: 15.4.2008.

PTEP 12(2008) 3