A growing awareness of the relationship between diet and
health has led to an increasing demand for food
products that support health beyond simply providing basic
nutrition. Digestive
health is the largest segment of the burgeoning functional food
market worldwide. Incorporation of bioactive
oligosaccharides into foods can yield health benefits in the
gastrointestinal
tract and other parts of the body that are linked via the immune
system.
Because oligosaccharides can be added to a wide variety of
foodstuffs, there is
much interest within the food industry in incorporating these
functional
ingredients into healthy food products. Moreover, other areas such
as
pharmaceuticals, bioenergy and environmental science can exploit
the
physicochemical and physiological properties of bioactive
oligosaccharides too.
There is therefore a considerable demand for a concentrated source
of
information on the development and characterization of new
oligosaccharides
with novel and/or improved bioactivities.
Food Oligosaccharides: Production, Analysis and
Bioactivityis a comprehensive reference on the
naturally occurring and synthesised oligosaccharides, which will
enable food
professionals to select and use these components in their products.
It is
divided into three sections: (i) Production and bioactivity
of
oligosaccharides, (ii) Analysis and (iii) Prebiotics in Food
Formulation. The
book addresses classical and advanced techniques to structurally
characterize and
quantitatively analyse food bioactive oligosaccharides. It also
looks at practical
issues faced by food industry professionals seeking to incorporate
prebiotic
oligosaccharides into food products, including the effects of
processing on
prebiotic bioavailability. This book is essential reading for food
researchers
and professionals, nutritionists and product developers working in
the food
industry, and students of Food Science with an interest in
functional foods.
