Application of Natural Components in Food Production

Dear Colleagues,

According to recent research, there is no global food security. Approximately 820 million people worldwide suffer from chronic hunger, while 2 billion people on our planet are inflicted with so-called hidden starvation daily, which is primarily caused by inappropriate eating habits and the overconsumption of food with poor nutritional value (low in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, abundant in saturated fats and simple carbohydrates). These existing nutritional patterns lead to the development of chronic non-communicable diseases, such as obesity and its complications (diabetes type 2, caries, various kinds cancer and cardiovascular diseases). At the same time, the EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health recommends that we reduce our daily meat consumption in favor of increasing our intake of plant-based food products. Plants are rich sources of many natural bioactive components that might be applied in various aspects of food technology, such as novel foods, prohealthy food products, food supplements, innovative food packagings, or natural herbicides in the field of green chemistry.

The present Special Issue aims to present, without being exhaustive, the potential of common and uncommon plants, as well as plant-based foods, to be utilized as a possible source of valuable natural compounds in the human diet in order to maintain the wellness of the human body and efficiently protect against the development of diet-related diseases, for the good of the planet and the good of human health.

Prof. Dr. Barbara Borczak
Prof. Dr. Joanna Kapusta-Duch
Guest Editors

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