Strategies to improve food functionality: Structure-property relationships on high pressures homogenization, vacuum impregnation and drying technologies

Background: The study areas in food process and products have evolved mainly from safety to other topics such as quality, environment and health. The improvement of food products is now directed towards ensuring nutritional and specific functional benefits. The processes are directed to ensure the quality and safety of environmentally friendly food products produced optimizing the use of resources, minimally affecting or even enhancing their nutritional and beneficial characteristics. Scope and approach: The effect of HPH, VI and DT on bioactive compounds have been reviewed, focusing on the structure changes produced and its relationship on the product functionality, as well as on the parameters and the strategies used to quantify and increase the achieved functionality. Key findings and conclusions: Applying HPH leads to structural changes that improve the bioavailability of bioactive compounds. The VI operation allows the incorporation of bioactive compounds into natural structures, taking advantage of both the protective effect of these ones and the synergistic effect of certain compounds. The negative effects related to the application of extreme temperatures in DT operations can be minimized by incorporating ingredients that protect structural elements or create protective structures. Management of food processes in an adequate way can contribute clearly to maintain and even increase the functionality of the products in which they are applied. The knowledge of the relations structure-properties-process is a key element necessary to achieve this objective.