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SPECIAL TALK BY FI
SPECIAL TALK BY FIRNRN

Interest of consumers in functional foods has been increasing worldwide because of their potentials to improve health
with fewer side effects, less expense, and easier availability as off-the-shelf or over-the-counter products than commonly
used pharmaceuticals. However, it is important to recognize that functional foods may exhibit undesired adverse effects and
therefore must undergo toxicity and safety tests, especially long-term safety studies to rule out potential harm. Similarly, their
claims on health benefits must be supported and proven by solid evidences from studies, particularly clinical trials.
In recent years, many attempts have been made to discover physiological functions of new ingredients or re-discover
the new functions of common food ingredients. The ingredients are aimed to be used in functional products to prevent or
relieve a variety of non-communicable disease conditions. Various functional or bioactive ingredients are naturally found in
plants, animals, and microorganisms. Among them, bioactive proteins and peptides, PUFAs, fibers, phenolics, probiotics,
and prebiotics are the main active ingredients used in the formulation and development of functional foods.
The bioavailability and efficacy of bioactive ingredients are of important considerations when developing functional
foods. Bioavailability of active ingredients may be altered depending on the other compounds added during formulation,
and properties and behavior of them may be varying due to manufacturing process, food format, storage conditions, and
their intrinsic properties (e.g., heat stability, pH tolerance, shear stress tolerance). Moreover, the possible changes could still
occur following ingestion and digestion, and their absorption and functions may be contraindicated for different population
groups based on age, sex, and health status.
Due to the aforementioned complexities, functional ingredient and functional food development remains a challenging
area and needs continued researches to develop shelf-stable and tasty functional products and to substantiate their health
benefits.

Physiological Functions of Functional

Ingredients USED In Functional Foods:

Research-based Development to Meet Business Requirements

Although there is no universal definition of functional foods, generally they are considered as foods
that have health benefits beyond the provision of basic nutrients e.g., immunomodulation,
antihypertension, and anti-oxidation.

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