Functional properties of food components and the development of innovative products.

Functional properties of food components are of great importance for the development of innovative food products. Functional properties can be divided mainly into technological functional properties (technological functionality) and nutritional functional properties (nutritional functionality). On the one hand, the addition of components with nutritional functional properties (health ingredients) to food is the main procedure for the manufacture of functional food characterized by an additional health benefit. On the other hand, the utilization of food ingredients with technological functionality (e. g. binding, interface or structural properties) may improve the handling during processing and the food quality, respectively. Functional foods are regarded as innovative and promising products. Further nutritional investigations, however, are necessary to confirm the assumed beneficial properties of the potential ingredients such as phytochemicals. The nutritional properties (e. g. bioavailability) of the health ingredients as well as the technological functional properties of all ingredients may change considerably by incorporation into the food product and during processing and preparation of food products. The knowledge concerning the interaction of (a) processing, (b) structural changes and state transitions and (c) changes of the functional properties is still limited. It should be improved by further basic investigations. This will allow the development of new solutions for products with improved quality and for the suitable technologies. Furthermore a well coordinated cooperation of different scientific disciplines using information technology is necessary for a successful development of functional food.