Fortification and functional foods
It is well-known that a lack of micronutriency in the world is of paramount improtance. It can cause a series of different problems, and quite often it is also the reason for obesity, while inapropriate nutrition leads to deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals. However, there are are already existing practices, directed to solve this problem. The process of adding nutrients into foods is called fortification.
Thea are different techniques used in fortification, one, that is of special interest and most related to biotechnilogy, is biofortification. Biofortification can be done both by traditional plant breeding and by gene engineering. The first approach is possible in biofortification only if both …show more content…
The testing period will take from 6 up to 10 years before the complition and penetration on the food market. Numerous tests should be made before the selection of the most highly-nutrient and high-yielding sorts of crops and approval of governmental authorities.
Golden Rice is an example of biofortified food. It is called golden, because its grains have yellow color due to high content of carotenoid. The aim of inventing Golden Rice was to enrich it with β-carotene (provitamin A), which doesn’t exist naturally in rice varieties. The deficiency of provitamin A leads to the weakening of immune system and bones, sometimes it can induce blindness. The development of Golden Rice is close to completion, but because of ethical issues, related to GMO, there are still barriers that make Golden Rice unavailable at the present.
There are also other examples of improved nutritionally biofotified foods: transgenetic staple crops, enriched with Amaranthus hypochondriacus seed storage protein, which has all the essential amino acids. GM maize contained 32% more AH protein than the wild one. Similarly, genetically modified potato contains 45% more AH protein than the normal …show more content…
Perception of functional foods among US consumers is of interest.
According to the survey “To what extent do you agree or disagree that functional foods may have a meaningful impact on your health?” (Figure 4) conducted among adults in the US by the International Food Information Council in 2013, 26% of respondents expressed that they are definitely agree with that statement and 46% of respondents agree partially. Thus, it can be concluded that US consumers have a relatively positive attitude towards functional foods.
At the moment such leading international food companies as Nestle ́®, Unilever©, Danone and others have their own research centers, where they investigate the impact of novel functional foods and nutraceuticals. The development of functional foods will bring the food industry on a new level. New technologies and innovative approaches in food processing make such combinations of foods and nutrients, which were not previously available, and this is beneficial for both consumers and producers. Moreover, technologies in food processing play an essential role in mantainance a desired food quality and food safety. The market of functional foods expereiences a rapid growth, while nowadays customers are more aware about impacts, occurred by consuming certain products, therefore, they are willing to buy not just simple foods, which can satisfy
It is well-known that a lack of micronutriency in the world is of paramount improtance. It can cause a series of different problems, and quite often it is also the reason for obesity, while inapropriate nutrition leads to deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals. However, there are are already existing practices, directed to solve this problem. The process of adding nutrients into foods is called fortification.
Thea are different techniques used in fortification, one, that is of special interest and most related to biotechnilogy, is biofortification. Biofortification can be done both by traditional plant breeding and by gene engineering. The first approach is possible in biofortification only if both …show more content…
The testing period will take from 6 up to 10 years before the complition and penetration on the food market. Numerous tests should be made before the selection of the most highly-nutrient and high-yielding sorts of crops and approval of governmental authorities.
Golden Rice is an example of biofortified food. It is called golden, because its grains have yellow color due to high content of carotenoid. The aim of inventing Golden Rice was to enrich it with β-carotene (provitamin A), which doesn’t exist naturally in rice varieties. The deficiency of provitamin A leads to the weakening of immune system and bones, sometimes it can induce blindness. The development of Golden Rice is close to completion, but because of ethical issues, related to GMO, there are still barriers that make Golden Rice unavailable at the present.
There are also other examples of improved nutritionally biofotified foods: transgenetic staple crops, enriched with Amaranthus hypochondriacus seed storage protein, which has all the essential amino acids. GM maize contained 32% more AH protein than the wild one. Similarly, genetically modified potato contains 45% more AH protein than the normal …show more content…
Perception of functional foods among US consumers is of interest.
According to the survey “To what extent do you agree or disagree that functional foods may have a meaningful impact on your health?” (Figure 4) conducted among adults in the US by the International Food Information Council in 2013, 26% of respondents expressed that they are definitely agree with that statement and 46% of respondents agree partially. Thus, it can be concluded that US consumers have a relatively positive attitude towards functional foods.
At the moment such leading international food companies as Nestle ́®, Unilever©, Danone and others have their own research centers, where they investigate the impact of novel functional foods and nutraceuticals. The development of functional foods will bring the food industry on a new level. New technologies and innovative approaches in food processing make such combinations of foods and nutrients, which were not previously available, and this is beneficial for both consumers and producers. Moreover, technologies in food processing play an essential role in mantainance a desired food quality and food safety. The market of functional foods expereiences a rapid growth, while nowadays customers are more aware about impacts, occurred by consuming certain products, therefore, they are willing to buy not just simple foods, which can satisfy