Food Oligosaccharides

A growing awareness of the relationship between diet and health  has led to an increasing demand for food

products that support health beyond simply providing basic nutrition. Digestive

health is the largest segment of the burgeoning functional food market worldwide. Incorporation of bioactive

oligosaccharides into foods can yield health benefits in the gastrointestinal

tract and other parts of the body that are linked via the immune system.

Because oligosaccharides can be added to a wide variety of foodstuffs, there is

much interest within the food industry in incorporating these functional

ingredients into healthy food products. Moreover, other areas such as

pharmaceuticals, bioenergy and environmental science can exploit the

physicochemical and physiological properties of bioactive oligosaccharides too.

There is therefore a considerable demand for a concentrated source of

information on the development and characterization of new oligosaccharides

with novel and/or improved bioactivities.

Food Oligosaccharides: Production, Analysis and Bioactivityis a comprehensive reference on the

naturally occurring and synthesised oligosaccharides, which will enable food

professionals to select and use these components in their products. It is

divided into three sections: (i) Production and bioactivity of

oligosaccharides, (ii) Analysis and (iii) Prebiotics in Food Formulation. The

book addresses classical and advanced techniques to structurally characterize and

quantitatively analyse food bioactive oligosaccharides. It also looks at practical

issues faced by food industry professionals seeking to incorporate prebiotic

oligosaccharides into food products, including the effects of processing on

prebiotic bioavailability. This book is essential reading for food researchers

and professionals, nutritionists and product developers working in the food

industry, and students of Food Science with an interest in functional foods.