Concepts, benefits and perspectives of functional dairy food products

Abstract

The rising awareness of the consumers towards the health benefits of food has resulted in the development of the so-called functional foods. These added value products which refer to prevention and/or therapeutic effects of food beyond its nutritional value, are especially useful for health improvement and reduction of medical care costs. The combination between health and nutrition and its potential to improve the quality of life has become one of the key attention points of consumers who are aware of and are seeking nutritional solutions to their health concerns. Milk and dairy products have been used in human nutrition for thousands of years, providing important nutrients for the human body such as proteins, fats and calcium. It is now widely recognized that in addition to their basic nutritive role they also exert functional properties beneficial for human health, so the development of functional dairy products is one of the fastest growing areas in the dairy industry as well as one of the largest sectors in the global market of functional foods. This review provides a brief overview of the health benefits and the natural functionality of dairy products as well as the challenges together with the future perspectives of their application as delivery vehicles for beneficial compounds to the human body. Keywords: functional foods, milk, dairy products