Functional dairy foods - an overview

A functional food should bring about health benefits over and above its normal nutritional performance, be similar in appearance to conventional food, and be consumed as part of regular daily diet. Functional dairy foods have undergone a major leap in recent years, as food and nutrition sciences have evolved well beyond fulfilment of primary needs - and have accordingly been claimed as aids for treatment of primary deficiency syndromes toward reduction of risk of disease. Manufacture of functional dairy foods poses it a great challenge to the food industry; the dairy market is already the area of more significant incidence and commercial success of functional foods, both in Europe and lapan, accounting for ca. 65% of all functional food sales - whereas in USA, functional dairy products have accounted only for 6.4% in 2000. Even though such a nuvel, health-oriented maket has been steadily growing, a great deal of fundamental research still remains to be done. Note that specifically designed and widely consumed functional dairy products might lead to longer and healthier lives of the regular consumer; and a concomitant reduction of medical costs especially of the elderly. Recall also that milk and dairy products contain, in their native forms, an array of components that provide critical elements for nutritional fulfillment and immunological protection, as well as biologically active substances to neonats and adults. One recent trend lies on incorporation of such probiotic bacteria as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium spp. in fermented dairy foods; besides generation of novel flavours and textures, addition of those beneficial cultures imparts a network of health attributes, with encompass improved nutritional value, reduction of lactose intolerance, antagonistic action towards enteric pathogens, anticar-cinogcenic effects and immune modulation. This communication focuses on emerging evidence of the protective role ascribed to fermented dairy products, and specifically reviews prebiotics. probiotics, milk proteins and biopeptides