Processing of native plant foods and ingredients

The value of natural additives in the food and beverage industry is estimated to increase to 45 USD billions in the global market; this figure includes vitamins, minerals and functional food ingredients according to Leatherhead’s Global Food Additives Market report, 2014. A certain growth percentage of this industry is attributed to consumer’s concerns of possible toxic effects from synthetic additives such as antioxidants, chemical preservatives and colouring agents. As an example: alternative methods to retard lipid oxidation in foods have increased the need for natural antioxidants. Sources of these natural antioxidants include the use of herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables and by-products from the food industry. It is well known that the additive and synergistic effects of the complex phytochemical mix present in these 296plant sources are responsible for their enhanced antioxidant activity (Neacsu et al., 2015). Recent publications (Konczak et al., 2009, 2010b; Sakulnarmrat and Konczak, 2012) have reported about the high antioxidant capacities of commercially grown Australian native plant foods which are far greater than those previously reported for blue berries, well known for its high antioxidant levels. The enhanced antioxidant capacity of native plant foods such as Kakadu plum is mainly attributed to the high levels of vitamin C and phenolic compounds (Konczak et al., 2009)