Food Oligosaccharides / Institute of Food Technologists Series (ePub)

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.