The Development of Novel Functional Foods: Trends, Prospectives, and Possible Bioactivity

Dear Colleagues,

Many studies support the potential bioactivity of specific natural or processed functional foods due to their content in a plethora of bioactive ingredients, such as probiotics, fibers, antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, peptides, and phytochemicals. In this vein, in recent years, the food industry has focused on the development of novel processed foods that are rich in bioactive compounds, such as fortified and enriched foods, with potential nutritional or health claims, alongside the use of novel technologies. These novel functional products, consumed as part of a balanced diet in the form of ready-to-eat products, may help prevent nutrient deficiencies and promote health.

This Special Issue focuses on the further investigation of new technologies for the development of novel functional foods (encapsulation, fortification, lyophilization, etc.), to increase the bioactivity, stability, and bioavailability of the bioactive compounds and their possible effect on biomarkers of human health. We welcome papers that report the latest evidence-based results on the development, bioactivity, and bioavailability of novel functional foods. Animal experiments, clinical trials, and epidemiological studies, as well as vitro studies, meta-analyses, and review articles, are also welcome.

Dr. Antonios E. Koutelidakis
Dr. Ioannis Kourkoutas
Dr. Andreas Tzakos
Dr. Aikaterini Papadaki
Dr. Nikolaos Kopsahelis
Guest Editors

Note: All the guest editors are members of FOODBIOMES which is a new distributed research infrastructure of the Agri-food sector established in Greece that aims to offer world class research, education and innovation services exploring the impact of microbiome applications in food systems and the development of novel functional foods.

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