Introduction to Functional Food Science, Third Edition

Food is gradually becoming a force of change in the health world. As chronic disease rates and health costs rise, populations are increasingly looking towards food as an affordable alternative form of treatment. Functional food, a revolutionary category of food that is taking the world by storm, is popular across the world. However, certain setbacks, such as the lack of a consistent definition across nations and low food education among the public, have held functional food back from high market accessibility. The Functional Food Center (FFC) has been studying functional food for nearly 20 years, and in our third textbook edition, we delve into greater detail regarding topics in functional food science. Specifically, we cover topics such as: the definition of functional food, functional food components, health benefits, chronic diseases, global markets, and sensory evaluation. In addition to these main sections, we discuss sub-topics, such as: modern scientific technology, the relationship between functional food science and medicine, and finally, how food claims are regulated across the world. Accessible to medical doctors, researchers, dietitians, public health professionals, students, and the public, this textbook is meant to enlighten any and all interested in alternative sources of health. Some scientists predict that food will be the future of healthcare and wellness. We agree, and think that functional food is the first glimpse into that future.Using the insight and knowledge of over 3,000 scientific references, we have created a guide to modern functional food science. Edited by Danik M. Martirosyan, PhD, President of Functional Food Center (Dallas, TX, USA), this textbook is the result of a collaboration between 54 scientists, 44 universities, and international medical and food organizations. We would like to extend our warmest gratitude to each and every contributor of this book for having shared their articles with us. Our contributors are experts in their fields and are based in a variety of countries, including: Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, China, Denmark, Russia, India, Hong Kong, Hungaria, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, Poland, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Belarus, the USA and more. Our diversity of backgrounds adds richness to this book and to all of our other publications at the FFC.Danik M. Martirosyan, PhD, President, Functional Food Institute, Dallas, TX, USA