ABSTRACT
Traditionally, the progress addressed in food production technologies has been to improve the nutritional and sensorial quality of products, as well as to extend product shelf life and to increase process productivity. In the last few years, the research advances in nutrition and health sciences have changed the priorities of food technology (Sen˜orans et al., in press). Due to new evidence and the incidence of food’s therapeutic role in the prevention of diverse illnesses, consumers are demanding that food products include ingredients with therapeutic functions. These products are generally known as functional foods. The Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board (IOM/FNB, 1994) has defined functional foods as ‘‘any food or food ingredient that may provide a health benefit beyond the traditional nutrients it contains.’’ The term ‘‘functional food’’ was first introduced in Japan in the mid1980s, which refers to processed foods containing ingredients that aid specific bodily functions in addition to being nutritious (Hasler, 1998). An alternative definition of functional foods is offered by Sloan (2000): ‘‘a food or beverage that imparts a physiological benefit that enhances overall health, helps prevent or treat a disease/condition, or improves physical or mental performance via an added functional ingredient, processing modification, or biotechnology.’’
