An overview on the inclusion of nutraceutical compounds in functional food

Over the last decade, awareness of the relationship between nutrition and health has increased. There is numerous scientific research that has focused on functional and nutraceutical foods, based on the modulation of specific ingredients that bring benefits to the human organism. This work aims to provide an overview of the development of the legislative framework at a global level, the current size of the market and the technologies adopted in the production of functional foods. The development and trade of these products are subject to technological obstacles and legislative aspects. Also, these products are strongly linked to consumer demands, which is a key factor for success in the market. In this context, functional foods play a fundamental role in the continuous change of eating habits, particularly with the discovery of new dieting models. Among the challenges in the development of fortified foods, there is the ability to implement a sustainable approach in technologies and processes. It is necessary to conduct detailed studies on the correlation between the structure of macromolecules and physiological effects, as well as processing techniques that guarantee the quality and safety of “Novel foods”. This study presents a literature review, with reference to the Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases, based on the following string of keywords: (development OR innovation) AND functional AND "food", considering papers published from 2014 to 2024. The articles were selected to include only those focusing on types of products and technologies used.