Francisco Jiménez Colmenero

Functional meat products; development and evaluation of their health-promoting properties | Alimentos cárnicos funcionales; desarrollo y evaluación de sus propiedades saludables

For a number of reasons, meat products are an exceptionally adequate means for introducing different bioactive compounds into the diet without modifying eating habits. In recent years, there has been a notable development of meat products designed as potentially functional foods. Within the framework of the functional food, this article provides a general view of the reasons that motivate and justify their formulation, with special emphasis on: a) aspects to be considered in their design in order to be able to make nutrition claims and statements concerning their health-promoting properties; b) the strategies employed to optimize the presence of functional ingredients, favoring the presence of beneficial bioactive compounds and limiting others with negative consequences for our health, and c) the procedures for demonstrating a relationship between the consumption of potentially functional meat products with beneficial effects on health and the way in which these studies are reflected in the literature.Por multiples razones los productos carnicos son alimentos excepcionalmente adecuados para introducir en la dieta diversos compuestos bioactivos sin modificar los habitos de consumo. En los ultimos anos se ha producido un notable desarrollo de productos carnicos disenados como potencialmente funcionales. En el marco de la alimentacion funcional, este articulo proporciona una panoramica general acerca de las razones que impulsan y justifican su obtencion haciendo especial enfasis en: a) los aspectos a considerar en su diseno con el proposito de poder realizar declaraciones nutricionales y alegaciones de propiedades saludables; b) las estrategias empleadas para optimizar la presencia de ingredientes funcionales, favoreciendo la presencia de compuestos bioactivos beneficiosos y limitando la de aquellos otros con implicaciones negativas para la salud, y c) los procedimientos para demostrar una relacion entre la ingesta de productos carnicos potencialmente funcionales con un efecto beneficioso sobre la salud y de que manera se reflejan tales estudios en la bibliografia.

Emulsiones múltiples; compuestos bioactivos y alimentos funcionales

The continued appearance of scientific evidence about the role of diet and/or its components in health and wellness, has favored the emergence of functional foods which currently constitute one of the chief factors driving the development of new products. The application of multiple emulsions opens new possibilities in the design and development of functional foods. Multiple emulsions can be used as an intermediate product (food ingredient) into technological strategies normally used in the optimization of the presence of bioactive compounds in healthy and functional foods. This paper presents a summary of the types, characteristics and formation of multiple emulsions, possible location of bioactive compounds and their potential application in the design and preparation of healthy and functional foods. Such applications are manifested particularly relevant in relation to quantitative and qualitative aspects of lipid material (reduced fat/calories and optimization of fatty acid profile), encapsulation of bioactive compounds mainly hydrophilic and sodium reduction. This strategy offers interesting possibilities regarding masking flavours and improving sensory characteristics of foods.