The exponential demand for innovative foods with health benefits, as well as the increasing search for foods without artificial agents has led to a huge exploitation of natural matrices with the aim at obtaining functional molecules for diverse purposes. Natural matrices are an endless source of molecules that can be applied in foods, given their high bioactivity and diversity.
Besides that, the international goals of most of the governments are focused in implementing sustainable strategies in food processes and products, promoting the circular economy, and reducing food waste. Nevertheless, the development of foods with natural ingredients presents several bottlenecks, such as stability issues. Therefore, the industry, in straight collaboration with the scientific community have been dedicated to the development of innovative, efficient, and sustainable processes and food products.
Currently, the main applications of these molecules in the food industry are the replacement of artificial preservatives, colorants, flavors, and the incorporation of bioactive ingredients, in the form of extracts, purified fractions, isolated molecules or even in synergism with other ingredients, taking advantage of their powerful benefits. Therefore, several limitations have been identified that make this applications infeasible for some extracts, such as reduced recovery of natural matrices, reduced bioactivity and reduced stability. Thus, efficient, innovative and sustainable extraction technologies, as well as stabilization processes are the main concerns of the research on natural molecules for food application.
This Research Topic 'Natural Food Additives: Sustainable Development of Bio-Based Molecules' aims at inviting researchers to provide innovative research or review articles that address the main issues of developing differentiated food stuff with health benefits and/or with natural molecules in alternative to the use of artificial ones with described harmful effects. The main themes to be addressed in this topic are: i) development of innovative extraction technologies for natural molecules; ii) stabilization processes; iii) development of natural colorants, preservatives, flavors, bioactive molecules; iv) development of differentiated foods incorporated with natural molecules.
The exponential demand for innovative foods with health benefits, as well as the increasing search for foods without artificial agents has led to a huge exploitation of natural matrices with the aim at obtaining functional molecules for diverse purposes. Natural matrices are an endless source of molecules that can be applied in foods, given their high bioactivity and diversity.
Besides that, the international goals of most of the governments are focused in implementing sustainable strategies in food processes and products, promoting the circular economy, and reducing food waste. Nevertheless, the development of foods with natural ingredients presents several bottlenecks, such as stability issues. Therefore, the industry, in straight collaboration with the scientific community have been dedicated to the development of innovative, efficient, and sustainable processes and food products.
Currently, the main applications of these molecules in the food industry are the replacement of artificial preservatives, colorants, flavors, and the incorporation of bioactive ingredients, in the form of extracts, purified fractions, isolated molecules or even in synergism with other ingredients, taking advantage of their powerful benefits. Therefore, several limitations have been identified that make this applications infeasible for some extracts, such as reduced recovery of natural matrices, reduced bioactivity and reduced stability. Thus, efficient, innovative and sustainable extraction technologies, as well as stabilization processes are the main concerns of the research on natural molecules for food application.
This Research Topic 'Natural Food Additives: Sustainable Development of Bio-Based Molecules' aims at inviting researchers to provide innovative research or review articles that address the main issues of developing differentiated food stuff with health benefits and/or with natural molecules in alternative to the use of artificial ones with described harmful effects. The main themes to be addressed in this topic are: i) development of innovative extraction technologies for natural molecules; ii) stabilization processes; iii) development of natural colorants, preservatives, flavors, bioactive molecules; iv) development of differentiated foods incorporated with natural molecules.
