The Functional Food Industry

In today’s world, lifestyle is an important determinant of a healthier life. Lack of physical activity, particularly if associated with over consumption leads to nutrition related chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, type II diabetes and several types of cancers. Functional foods or functional food ingredients exert a beneficial effect on host health and/or reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond their nutritive value (Schaafsma et al. 1997). Functional food / functional food ingredients are having good market in today’s global food industry. Of the currently known functional foods, non-digestible oligosaccharides hold an important position with respect to their prebiotics activity (Kolida

Baked products rich in fibre can have properties such as reduced loaf volume, hard crumb, bitter flavour and dark colour. The main challenge with adding fibre in baked products is the adverse effects on the end product quality and therefore the low acceptability by consumers. The production of bakery products has increased two folds in the last five years, indicating the increasing popularity of the products. The present production of bakery items in India is estimated to be 31.5 lakhs tonnes. Of these, the sharing of bread is 15 lakhs tones and that of biscuits is 12 lakhs tonnes. Other bakery products contribute the remaining 4.5 lakhs tonnes. (Ref) It is of interest to note that only about 24 % of bakery products is manufactured in large-scale bakery units, while 76 % are produced in small scale and family cottage units. As high as 48.0 % of the total bakery products produced in the country are consumed in rural areas. Madhusweta Das et al., (2005) states that bakery products are no longer considered as fancy and luxury tea-time snacks, but an essential and significant component of the dietary profile of the population. The demand for bakery products increases in line with the urbanization and modernization. The products with satisfying taste, palatability and nutritional quality are in demand and have the

Due to their low water levels, they are microbiologically stable much longer than bread or cakes. There is a growing interest in high fibre diets, which are important in prevention and management of chronic diseases such as obesity, (colonic) cancer and coronary heart disease (Kendall, Esfahani, & Jenkins, 2010). Cookies refers to a baked product generally containing the three major ingredients; flour, sugar and fat. They have low final water contents (1-5%) (Pareyt & Delcour et al., 2008). Most biscuits and cookies are chemically leavened baked products (Dogan et al., 2006). Cookies are nutritive snacks produced from unpalatable dough that is transformed into an appetizing product through the application of heat in an oven. They are ready-to-eat, convenient and inexpensive food product, containing digestive and dietary principles of vital importance. Sucrose, a non-reducing disaccharide, is the most common sugar used in cookie preparation. It contributes to texture, flavor, sweetness and color in cookies. The quantity, granulation and type of sugar used influence the quality of cookies. It is a major important ingredient of most cookies (Pareyt & Delcour et al., 2008). Consumers are looking for ways to simplify their lives. Using familiar ingredients reduces complexities faced by consumers when they choose products and it appeals to their need for comfort foods. “Cookies have the greatest penetration rate among