Food Technology Magazine | Issues and Insights

Formulating for Functional Benefits

With consumers increasingly looking for enhanced nutrition, the functional foods market must find a way to balance the addition of in-demand ingredients with minimal processing.

By Kayt Sukel
Assorted bars from The Functional Chocolate Company

The Functional Chocolate Company’s bars are formulated with botanical ingredients that research has linked to wellness benefits, but the company emphasizes that it does not make specific health benefit claims. Photo courtesy of The Functional Chocolate Company

Today’s eaters are looking for more than basic nutrition. And instead of reaching for a supplement to optimize health and reduce the risk of disease, they are instead seeking new food products formulated with functional ingredients. Functional foods, loosely defined as foods or beverages with the power to beneficially affect one or more target functions in the body to improve health and well-being, are not a new phenomenon—food companies have been fortifying a variety of products with vitamins a…

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Formulating for Functional Benefits

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About the Author

Kayt Sukel is a book author, magazine writer, and public speaker who frequently covers scientific topics ([email protected]).

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