Emerging Trends in Functional Food Formulation: From Concept to Consumers

The field of functional foods has witnessed substantial growth, driven by a consumer shift toward preventive health and wellness. Functional foods, which include fortified, enriched, or enhanced products, are designed to provide multiple health benefits beyond basic nutrition, targeting aspects like immune support as well as gut and metabolic health. Advances in food technology and biotechnology, including encapsulation, controlled release, and fermentation, have broadened the possibilities for developing such foods. However, challenges remain in optimizing bioavailability and ensuring that these functional ingredients retain their health benefits until consumption. Functional foods, formulated with bioactive compounds, prebiotics, probiotics, and other health-promoting ingredients, hold great potential in addressing prevalent health issues such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. As research expands, there is an urgent need to explore efficient methods for incorporating these beneficial compounds in food products while ensuring their stability, efficacy, and consumer acceptability.

The goal of this research topic is to address the challenges and opportunities in the formulation of functional foods, from conceptualization to consumer acceptance. Functional foods offer a promising approach to improving public health; however, the incorporation of bioactive compounds like antioxidants, fibers, and probiotics often requires innovative techniques to enhance and maintain stability, bioavailability, and taste. Recent advances in encapsulation, fermentation, and ingredient extraction have shown promise in overcoming these barriers. To translate these scientific developments into consumer-ready products, interdisciplinary collaboration between food scientists, nutritionists, and industry stakeholders is crucial. This collection will explore strategies for formulating functional foods that meet consumer demands for taste, convenience, and efficacy while also considering sustainability and regulatory compliance.

We invite original research, reviews, and case studies focusing on recent breakthroughs in ingredient selection, bioavailability enhancement, and novel delivery systems for functional compounds, as well as consumer insights, regulatory challenges, and sustainability considerations. Contributions that emphasize sustainable practices and highlight interdisciplinary approaches from food science, nutrition, microbiology, and consumer psychology are particularly encouraged.

This research topic on “Emerging Trends in Functional Food Formulation: From Concept to Consumers” seeks contributions that focus on various aspects of functional food innovation, from ingredient selection to consumer acceptance. We invite manuscripts that explore specific themes such as bioavailability enhancement, novel delivery systems (e.g., encapsulation and controlled release), advancements in probiotic and prebiotic formulations, and the integration of nutraceuticals into foods. Further topics of interest include sensory and taste optimization, stability and shelf-life studies, regulatory and safety considerations, as well as sustainability practices in formulation and production. Manuscripts that examine consumer perceptions, market trends, and interdisciplinary collaborations are also encouraged.

We welcome original research, comprehensive reviews, short communications, and case studies that offer valuable insights into both the scientific and practical aspects of functional food development and aim to bridge the gap between research innovations and consumer markets.

Keywords: Functional food, Sensory optimization, Sustainable sourcing, Nutritional enhancement, Food innovation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.