Demand For Healthy Food Research Articles

Desenvolvimento de sorvete de chocolate utilizando fibra de casca de laranja como substituto de gordura

A procura por alimentos mais saudáveis por parte dos consumidores tem impulsionado as indústrias de alimentos a desenvolverem alimentos que contenham menor teor de gordura, contudo sem alterar as características sensoriais e nutricionais dos produtos. A indústria de sorvetes é uma das que mais utiliza gordura em suas formulações, contendo, em média, 10% desse ingrediente. Uma alternativa para a substituição de gorduras é a fibra de frutas cítricas, que vem sendo utilizada com sucesso, reduzindo o teor de gordura na indústria de embutidos, por exemplo. Nesse sentido, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as características sensoriais e físico-químicas de sorvetes elaborados com fibra de casca de laranja amarga comercial como substituto da gordura. Foram utilizadas duas formulações com concentrações diferentes de fibra de laranja (F1 com 0,74% e F2 com 1,10% de fibra) e uma formulação controle (com gordura). Para as duas formulações, foram encontrados valores condizentes com a literatura para a composição centesimal do sorvete. Em relação ao valor energético dos sorvetes, foi observada uma redução de mais de 25%, indicando que o produto pode ter alegação de light. Para o teor de fibra dos sorvetes, os valores observados foram de F1 1,4% e F2, 2,0%, podendo considerar o sorvete da formulação F2 como fonte de fibras. Os atributos de cor, odor e textura não apresentaram diferenças entre as amostras. Já sabor, sabor residual e aceitação global obtiveram diferenças entre as amostras com fibra e a controle. Os sorvetes elaborados com fibra de casca de laranja obtiveram índices de aceitação de 78%.

Prevalent fatty acids in cashew nuts obtained from conventional and organic cultivation in different stages of processing

Brazil is one of the three largest producers of fruits in the world, and among those fruit trees, the cashew tree stands out due to the high nutritional and commercial value of its products. During its fruit processing, there are losses in some compounds and few studies address this issue. Over the last decade the conventional system of food production has been substituted for the organic cultivation system, which is a promising alternative source of income given the global demand for healthy food. Therefore, this research aimed to characterize and quantify the prevalent fatty acids found in cashew nuts obtained from conventional and organic cultivation during various stages of processing. The prevalent fatty acids found were palmitic, linoleic, oleic, and stearic acid. The average of these fatty acids were 6.93 ± 0.55; 16.99 ± 0.61; 67.62 ± 1.00 and 8.42 ± 0.55 g/100 g, respectively. There was no reduction in the palmitic, oleic and stearic fatty acid contents during processing. Very little difference was observed between the nuts obtained from conventional and organic cultivation, indicating that the method of cultivation used has little or no influence on the content of cashew nut fatty acids.

Elaboração e aceitabilidade de biscoitos enriquecidos com aveia e farinha de bagaço de uva

A crescente demanda por alimentos benéficos à saúde é acompanhada pela busca por processos que gerem baixo volume de resíduos sólidos ou que proporcionem seu reaproveitamento. Este trabalho propõe a elaboração e a avaliação da aceitabilidade de biscoitos enriquecidos com aveia e farinha de bagaço de uva. A farinha de bagaço de uva, produzida como alternativa de utilização do grande volume deste resíduo gerado pela indústria vitivinícola, representa uma ótima fonte de fibras e antioxidantes naturais de baixo custo. Esta foi obtida por meio da moagem do bagaço seco e posterior padronização granulométrica. A farinha integral de aveia, fonte de fibras alimentares, foi obtida pela moagem da aveia em flocos. Para a elaboração dos biscoitos, foram utilizadas três formulações com diferentes percentuais de substituição da farinha de trigo por farinha integral de aveia e farinha de bagaço de uva, as quais foram denominadas formulações A, B e C, com níveis de substituição de 30%, 40% e 50%, respectivamente. O experimento foi realizado em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, os resultados submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de significância. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que os biscoitos elaborados apresentaram propriedades sensoriais aceitáveis, sendo os percentuais de substituição utilizados neste estudo aceitos pelos julgadores, dentre todos os atributos avaliados. O uso da aveia fornece um incremento de fibra alimentar e a farinha de bagaço de uva é um ingrediente alternativo para o reaproveitamento de um produto normalmente descartado.

Effect of Different Corn Starches on Microstructural, Physical and Sensory Properties of Gluten‐Free White Sauces Formulated with Soy Protein and Inulin

AbstractDifferent corn starches were used to prepare gluten‐free white sauces made with soy protein and inulin. A remarkable different microstructure between sauces made with modified or native starches was observed. The former were characterized by a packed matrix of swollen starch granules, while the latter showed a few starch granule remnants dispersed in a starch polymer–protein–inulin continuous phase. These microstructural differences were related to significant differences (P < 0.05) in the apparent viscosity values observed between sauces made with modified or native starches. Moreover, sauces made with waxy starches exhibited stable apparent viscosity values throughout refrigeration storage. Syneresis was negligible even in sauces made with native starch, proving the high water retention capacity of the soy protein–inulin–starch polymer matrix. In general, sauces made with modified starches had stable color parameters throughout storage and were preferred by consumers, which make them interesting in the development of this type of product.Practical ApplicationsStarches, both native and modified, from several botanical sources have been widely used in food industry to improve the textural properties and stability of sauces during their shelf life. However, new product development is increasingly focused in nutritional aspects due to consumer's demand for healthy food. In this context, the use of corn starches as gluten‐free sources as well as the replacement of fat by inulin and the use of soy protein instead of milk could be interesting in the development of white sauces suitable for consumers with particular nutritional requirements. First, it is necessary to evaluate the structural, physical and sensory properties of these mixtures to select the best formulation for the final product.

Commercialization and marketing of non-wood forest products in Central Serbia

The phenomenon of return to nature and its original values is increasingly common worldwide in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. In this context, it is particularly important to pay attention to organic products, as well as the increased demand for healthy food. In these circumstances non-wood forest products (NWFPs) emerge as forestry products that meet the criteria of organic farming and as such are placed on the market. The aim of this research was to acquire knowledge about the behavior of the marketing mix elements of NWFPs in Central Serbia in the period from 2007 to 2011. The purpose of this paper was to point to the opportunities for the development of enterprises, and the overall potential of Serbia for the development of companies engaged in purchasing, processing and placement of NWFPs. The research object were the quantities of products purchased and placed on both domestic and foreign markets, the types of promotional activities, the prices of final products and distribution of the products among the enterprises engaged in purchasing, processing and placement of NWFPs in Central Serbia.

Application of high hydrostatic pressure to aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) gel: Microbial inactivation and evaluation of quality parameters

Abstract High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) is an innovative technology which minimizes loss of physicochemical and nutritional quality matching consumer demands for fresh-like foods. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of high hydrostatic pressure (300, 400 and 500 MPa/1, 3 and 5 min) on microbial inactivation and quality parameters of A. vera gel after 60 days of storage. Shelf life was determined successfully by fitting experimental microbial data to the modified Gompertz equation for samples treated at 300 MPa/1 min. The samples treated at 400 and 500 MPa during 1, 3 and 5 min presented undetectable levels of microorganisms' counts. Based on microbiological results, the analysis of quality attributes was focused on the effects of HHP (300, 400 and 500 MPa) during 5 min of processing. Antioxidant activity, which was analyzed by means of total polyphenols content and DPPH-radical scavenging activity, showed a maximum value at 500 MPa. At 400 MPa, vitamin C showed the maximum retention (93%) and vitamin E increased the initial value of the gel. An increase of polysaccharides at 500 MPa also affected the gel firmness. Differences in surface color were also observed. Based on results, application of 500 MPa during 5 min may be successfully used to preserve main quality attributes of A. vera gel. Industrial relevance The increasing demand for healthy foods with less physical damage and environmental friendly processing is giving new opportunities for the hurdle-technology concept of foods preservation. In this sense, high hydrostatic pressure presents an innovative technology to improve shelf life of A. vera gel leading to an enhancement of its quality attributes.

Food retailer practices, attitudes and beliefs about the supply of healthy foods

Non-supermarket food retailers can be a promising channel for increasing the availability of healthy foods in underserved communities. The present paper reports on retailer practices, attitudes and beliefs about the supply of healthy foods before and after the introduction of new subsidies for healthy foods by the US Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in October 2009. We designed and conducted in-person standardized interviews with store owners and managers to assess perceptions of demand and profits for different foods, supply networks, barriers to stocking healthy foods and their changes following implementation of the new WIC packages. Non-supermarket retailers in five towns of Connecticut, USA (n 68 in 2009 and n 58 in 2010). Owners and managers of WIC-authorized and non-WIC convenience stores and non-chain grocery stores. Retailers identified customer demand as the primary factor in stocking decisions. They reported observing a significantly weaker demand for healthy foods compared with unhealthy foods, although it improved for certain foods with the new WIC subsidies. Less healthy foods were also perceived as more profitable. Supplier networks varied by product from convenient manufacturer delivery for salty snacks to self-supply for produce. WIC retailers were able to quickly adapt and supply healthy foods required under the new WIC programme guidelines. Retailers other than supermarkets currently perceive little demand for healthy foods, but new WIC subsidies have the power to change these perceptions. Supply barriers seem secondary in the limited offerings of healthy foods by stores and could be overcome when policy changes generate new demand for healthy foods.

Determinants of the Demand for Healthy Food: Does Stress Suppress Health Orientation in On-the-go Consumption?

Changes in eating habits comprise two major trends: The increasing demand for healthy products, and a stressful pace of life that leads to a growing convenience orientation. We link these trends by investigating whether stress, operationalized as time pressure and irregular daily routines, suppresses health orientation in on-the-go consumption. Based on current literature and qualitative research a structural model was developed and empirically tested. Our results surprisingly show that time pressure fosters health orientation regarding on-the-go consumption. Implications for industry and retailers are derived. The contribution of our re-search is to advance the understanding of consumer behaviour regarding on-the-go consumption.

Aplicação do método QDF na avaliação do perfil do consumidor de melão amarelo

A busca pela longevidade e a procura por alimentos mais saudáveis fizeram com que os consumidores se tornassem cada vez mais exigentes. Diante disso, procurou-se estabelecer o comportamento de compra dos consumidores de melão no Mercado Municipal de Piracicaba (SP) através do método de Desdobramento da Função Qualidade (QFD) e, com base nas respostas obtidas nos questionários aplicados, traçou-se o perfil dos consumidores, destacando-se suas preferências, costumes, reclamações e exigências. Verificou-se que é a mulher que realiza as compras do melão, com preferência pelo consumo na forma in natura. Encontrou-se insatisfação de 42,8% dos entrevistados quanto à qualidade do melão, sendo o sabor aguado a principal causa de descontentamento. Logo, a qualidade do melão não correspondia àquela indicada pelos consumidores (casca sem defeitos, coloração amarela característica da variedade, textura firme, suculento, de preço acessível, garantia de qualidade e gosto doce). Diante da insatisfação dos consumidores e considerando-se que o melão é consumido preferencialmente in natura, deve-se atentar para a preservação da sua aparência e qualidade sensorial. A opinião dos consumidores deve ser considerada na tentativa de identificar os pontos que devem ser melhorados dentro da cadeia de comercialização a fim de minimizar as perdas e promover a melhoria e a manutenção da qualidade do produto final.

Desalination of soy sauce by nanofiltration

Soy sauce is a traditional Chinese food condiment, normally containing a high concentration of sodium chloride (NaCl, 18–20%, w/v). To meet people's demand for healthy foods, part of NaCl needs to be removed from the raw soy sauce. In this study, nanofiltration was employed for the removal of salt and the recovery of nutritional components such as amino acid and fragrance from raw soy sauce, using four commercial NF membranes (NF270, NF-, NF90, Desal-5 DL). NF270 was found to be most suitable for the purpose. It was used to further study the effect of operation modes on desalination performance. The combination mode that concentration of the diluted soy sauce to its original volume, followed by diafiltration, was found to be most suitable one in terms of amino nitrogen (AN) and NaCl rejection, water consumption and operating pressure. Moreover, it was found that the rejection of AN was constant under the experimental conditions examined while NaCl rejection showed a linear relation with the concentration ratio of AN to NaCl. Based on mass balance and rejection equations, mathematical models were developed for predicting the concentration of solutes in retentate during desalination process, the simulation results agreed well with the experimental data.

Food fix [food manufacturers

The article reports consumers are striving to ditch the sat-fat and eat five-a-day, so food manufacturers are serving up innovation. In need of a fast-food fix but worried it could damage our health. As governments worldwide urge us to eat less salt, sugar and fat, more and more consumers are demanding healthier food and drinks. And this trend is not lost on food manufacturers. There is a definite demand for healthy food, and manufacturers are responding to it. The food industry is now so competitive that manufacturers have to be on the look-out for every opportunity to stay one step ahead of the competition. And in healthy eating they have spotted a real opportunity.

New targets in wheat improvement.

Abstract Climate change, expanding regional populations, changes in consumer preferences and improved technology will influence wheat breeding objectives in the coming decades. Traits that improve productivity in drier, warmer conditions are likely to become increasingly important and wheat cultivars with perennial habit, C 4 photosynthesis, improved nutrient use-efficiency and better adaptation to conservation agriculture could improve both the sustainability and productivity of wheat farming systems worldwide. The distribution of insects and diseases is expected to change in certain regions with implications for the deployment of resistance genes. The effectiveness of resistance genes may also change with temperature and CO 2 levels. Transgenes conferring immunity to some intractable diseases may offer longer-lasting solutions to disease infection and spread. The nutritional quality of both wholemeal and refined flour is expected to improve as more is understood of genetic variability for key micronutrients, their bioavailability and expression in different seed components. As markets become increasingly sophisticated, the demand for healthier foods will increase and wheat products with low glycaemic index or more antioxidants will be sought. The distribution of processed products worldwide may also change, as western societies increasingly favour wholemeal-based products and many developing countries replace rice-based diets with wheat as incomes improve. Wheat cultivars with strong, extensible dough and short mixing time have always been an important objective in western countries as longer mixing times reduce throughput. However, mixing time will take on an additional importance as energy costs continue to increase. As the proportion of meat increases in the diets of populations in transitional economies, the demand for grain for animal feed is also expected to continue to increase. Wheat cultivars with higher grain yield, improved digestibility and higher metabolizable energy, specific to monogastric and ruminant metabolisms, will be sought.

How Major Restaurant Chains Plan Their Menus: The Role of Profit, Demand, and Health

Increased away-from-home eating is associated with lower diet quality, and may contribute to the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity. Healthier food choices in restaurants may help mitigate the rise in obesity and improve diet quality. This study sought to understand the views of executives at major U.S. restaurant chains regarding the process, motivation for, and challenges of offering healthier options on their menus. The Healthy Menu Study used in-depth structured telephone interviews with 41 senior menu development and marketing executives at leading casual dining and fast-food restaurant chains. The interview guide covered menu trends, influences on introduction and continuation of new menu items, and barriers to adding healthy foods. Data analysis included tabulation of responses, identification of themes, and examination of subgroup differences. Growing sales and increasing profits are the most important considerations, mentioned by 61% of respondents; health and nutrition were noted as important by 21%. Restaurants may try to avoid losing groups with a "health seeker" by offering healthier foods (low in fat and calories, more fruits and vegetables) (27% of chains), but operators believe demand for healthier foods is not widespread. Additional obstacles to including healthier menu items are short shelf life of produce (46%), increased preparation time, low sales, and high labor costs. Not surprisingly, profit margins are the primary determinants of why restaurants do or do not add and continue to serve healthier food options. Without an increase in consumer demand, it is unlikely the restaurant industry will increase their offering of healthy food choices. Insight into the restaurant industry perspective is important for developing promising strategies to encourage healthier eating patterns.

Evaluation of white-grained wheat in Hungary

Most cultivated wheat varieties belong either to the redor white-grained type. Compared to red wheat varieties, white wheat has many advantages for the milling industry, such as high flour extraction rate and greater fibre content because of closer milling. Also, it has some aesthetic advantages, such as whiter flour, while the products are less raw flavoured than those made from red wheat (Chang and Chambers 1992). In addition, the bran of white grain can be considered as a useful by-product that is widely used in the snack industry. These nutritional parameters make white wheat suitable for processing in healthy food production. According to Varallyay (2006) healthy food and sustainable land management are closely related. In developed countries, white wheat has been increasingly used to make high fibre food products (Bequette and Herrman 1994). All the wheat varieties cultivated in Hungary belong to the red type. However, growing white wheat would potentially help to meet the special demand for healthy food with high fibre content and nutritional value. Besides the favourable nutritional effects mentioned above, however there are some disadvantages of growing white wheat. White genotypes are highly susceptible to preharvest sprouting (PHS) caused by rain before harvesting. This could result deterioration in quality parameters, such as falling number and bread volume (Huang and Varriano-Marston 1980, Pepo et al. 2005, Gut and Bichonski 2004). There is a positive relationship between the kernel colour and resistance to PHS (Wang et al. 1999). Red-grained genotypes are generally resistant, while white ones are susceptible to PHS. In some cases the white and red-grained cultivars can hardly be distinguished visually. Some light-red or white genotypes may show the opposite phenotypes as a consequence of various environmental stresses (McCaig et al. 1993). Thus, determining the genetically determined seed colour is of special importance, as these two types require different milling and baking techniques (Dowell 1998). To date, chemical methods have been developed for determining grain colour (De Pauw and McCaig 1988, Ram et al. 2002). The aim of this study was to evaluate the competitiveness of the white-grained Martonvasar breeding lines identified by routine grain screening during the breeding process.

Factors of increasing of organic farming according to demand and supply

Introduction The demand for healthy food has been intensifying up to the second half of the 20 century due to the negative externalities of industry-like production, which turned public attention to organic farming. The demand for organic products is increasing, but the supply is low in comparison. Considerable extra profit can be realized on organic products, which inspires more and more farmers to convert their activity into organic farming. According to different surveys consumers tend to pay even 60-70% higher prices for organic products than for industry-like produced goods at the present time. Producing organic products is therefore an important opportunity to ensure the profitableness and through that the long-term subsistence of farms. Organic farming in Hungary can be said to be still young, reliable territorial data are available only from the year 1995. The size of the inspected areas increased dynamically up to the first quarter of the 2000s, when this expansion broke [Roszik 2006]. The first phase of that growth showed an exponential trend. If we want to compare organic farming with product life cycle curve, then we can state that the process taken place is similar to the section of the curve showing dynamic increase and upgrade. According to the researches of Jarasi [2005] the regression S-curve (the logistic function) shows tight fit to the time series, the coefficient of correlation is 0.993. In Hungary the number of inspected farms performed a dynamically growing tendency with smaller breaks in the second half of the 1990s. Despite of the fact that the number of farms even decreased somewhat in certain years, the extent of inspected areas increased, which resulted the growth of the average farm size. This growing trend lasted until 2003, after that the process turned. In 2004 both the number of the inspected farms and the size of the inspected area diminished. It is still unknown whether this break is temporary or it is the beginning of bursting of the “ecological-balloon”. Similar break is experienced in the pace of growth in other member states of the European Union as well, in spite of the fact that organic production is subsidized even with political tools. [Jarasi 2005] The purpose of the research is to analyse the effects of the changes of the factors affecting the market equilibrium: demand and supply on the growth tendency of organic farming, and to seek for economic explication for the growth phenomenon, can be experienced nowadays.

Consumer perception versus scientific evidence of farmed and wild fish: exploratory insights from Belgium

The increasing number of marketable fish being supplied from aquaculture is a response to the increasing demand for healthy food and is filling the gap left by depleting natural fish stocks. Little is known about the awareness and perception of the consumer in terms of farmed fish versus fish from capture fisheries. The consumer's subjective point of view is of overriding importance for the production system and product acceptance as well as for future market success. In this paper consumer per- ception in Belgium is explored and compared against scientific evidence of farmed versus wild fish. Primary data were collected through a consumer survey (April 2003) and focus group discussions (May 2004) with Belgian consumers. The majority of the consumer sample reported no perceived differences between farmed versus wild fish. However, mean perception scores were slightly in favour of wild fish on the attributes

Gelled vegetable desserts containing pea protein, κ-carrageenan and starch

Due to recent animal diseases, cholesterol intake worries and strong demand for healthy food, there is a greater pressure for the direct consumption of vegetable proteins in food products. In this work, the objective is to develop alternative of strictly vegetable origin desserts based on gelled systems with required physical structure and perceived texture. For this reason, it is important to control the properties of the biopolymer mixtures and understand the phase separation behaviour under different physicochemical conditions. The firmness and storage modulus of different formulations of pea protein/κ-carrageenan/starch systems processed and cooled at different conditions are compared with those parameters obtained for commercial products. Formulation and thermal conditions were determined to influence the texture and storage modulus of the mixed systems. Confocal microscopic images showed that phase separation between pea protein and κ-carrageenan takes place, leading to the formation of two network systems. The binding of water effect, of the starch swollen granules, promotes the concentration of pea protein and κ-carrageenan, reinforcing the gel structure.

Discrimination and classification of Eurycoma longifolia Jack in medicinal foods by means of a DSP-based electronic taste sensor

Eurycoma longifolia Jack (ELJ), better known as Malaysian Ginseng, is fast becoming popular due to its efficacy as a general health and testosterone booster, and for its known aphrodisiac properties. With the growing popularity of ELJ, together with the increasing consumer demand for healthy foods, it is expected that the number of healthy food suppliers boasting claims that their products are enriched with this medicinal herb will also increase. It is, therefore, important to device a strategy that can rapidly provide corroborating evidence in order to assess the authenticity of such a claim onsite. A portable electronic taste sensor employing digital signal processing (DSP) technology was developed to meet this objective. The sensor was constructed from eight kinds of lipid membranes forming the multichannel artificial taste-sensing equipment. The system was trained to detect ELJ into four different concentrations: 0.01%, 0.03%, 0.05% and 0.08%. Over 100 samples were tested, from which the taste system was able to correctly classify the test mixtures at a greater than 90% success rate. This classification success rate, however, dropped to well below 50% when data from multichannel were used independently, indicating the between-channel variations were relatively small. Data fusion via principal component analysis helped enlarge the variation with the first and second principal components, contributed nearly 92% of the total variance. Equipped with 32-bit state-of-the-art DSPs, the taste system allowed both training and testing schemes to be implemented directly onboard.

Os supermercados na oferta de alimentos orgânicos: apelando ao estilo de vida ego-trip

A medida que a produção e o mercado de alimentos orgânicos foram se expandindo durante os anos 90, tanto no contexto internacional quanto no Brasil, os supermercados passaram a ter um papel dominante em relação aos canais alternativos de comercialização.Este artigo pretende contribuir na análise do papel do setor supermercadista na comercialização de produtos orgânicos, fundamentalmente frutas, legumes e verduras (FLV), e nos tipos de consumidor focalizados nas suas estratégias. Para isto, analisamos diversas referências bibliográficas - publicações especializadas no setor supermercadista e relatórios de agências de consultoria internacional, que nos permitam delinear algumas das características das estratégias dos supermercados na comercialização de orgânicos no mundo e no Brasil. Também procuramos, a partir da análise da estratégia dos supermercados, delinear algumas características do perfil dos consumidores. Argumentamos, a partir dos dados acima referenciados, que o consumo crescente de orgânicos nos supermercados é parte de uma demanda mais ampla por alimentos saudáveis que, por sua vez, faz parte de um estilo de vida que tem sido caracterizado como ego-trip, em contraste com o ecológico-trip.

Application of cereals and cereal components in functional foods: a review

The food industry is directing new product development towards the area of functional foods and functional food ingredients due to consumers' demand for healthier foods. In this respect, probiotic dairy foods containing human-derived Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species and prebiotic food formulations containing ingredients that cannot be digested by the human host in the upper gastrointestinal tract and can selectively stimulate the growth of one or a limited number of colonic bacteria have been recently introduced into the market. The aim of these products is to affect beneficially the gut microbial composition and activities. Cereals offer another alternative for the production of functional foods. The multiple beneficial effects of cereals can be exploited in different ways leading to the design of novel cereal foods or cereal ingredients that can target specific populations. Cereals can be used as fermentable substrates for the growth of probiotic microorganisms. The main parameters that have to be considered are the composition and processing of the cereal grains, the substrate formulation, the growth capability and productivity of the starter culture, the stability of the probiotic strain during storage, the organoleptic properties and the nutritional value of the final product. Additionally, cereals can be used as sources of nondigestible carbohydrates that besides promoting several beneficial physiological effects can also selectively stimulate the growth of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria present in the colon and act as prebiotics. Cereals contain water-soluble fibre, such as β-glucan and arabinoxylan, oilgosaccharides, such as galacto- and fructo-oligosaccharides and resistant starch, which have been suggested to fulfil the prebiotic concept. Separation of specific fractions of fibre from different cereal varieties or cereal by-products, according to the knowledge of fibre distribution in cereal grains, could be achieved through processing technologies, such as milling, sieving, and debranning or pearling. Finally, cereal constituents, such as starch, can be used as encapsulation materials for probiotics in order to improve their stability during storage and enhance their viability during their passage through the adverse conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. It could be concluded that functional foods based on cereals is a challenging perspective, however, the development of new technologies of cereal processing that enhance their health potential and the acceptability of the food product are of primary importance.