ABSTRACT
Konjac flour is well-known in many industries including the food, agro-industry, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical industry. This is due to the properties of konjac flour that allow its applications in a wide range of industries. The main applications are: dietary fibre, thickening agent, gelling agent, water absorption agent, high molecular weight polymer, film-forming material, and stabiliser. In the manufacturing of a food product, konjac flour can be used to modify its texture, alter its viscosity, make it more solid-like or gel-like, vary its flexibility, change its organoleptic properties, such as mouth feel, softer, or harder, and also make it not thin film (e.g., edible coating). Moreover, nowadays, a consumer is looking for healthy food products which are green, clean or composed of natural ingredients, easy to prepare, and have a long shelf life. The growing demand among consumers for healthy products makes researches and industries focus intensively on health benefits. Therefore, the new trend of using konjac flour in the industry is no longer limited to physical characteristics or textural properties, but includes more functional properties either through new inventions or innovations in processing and product development that lead to health benefits. Hence, this chapter will provide information about the potential applications of konjac flour in the agro-industry, food, and biotechnology industries, especially for health and functional products.
