Phospholipids for functional food

✍ Scribed by Michael Schneider

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 36 KB
• Volume: 103
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1438-7697
• DOI: 10.1002/1438-9312(200102)103:2<98::aid-ejlt98>3.0.co;2-g

✦ Synopsis

Phospholipids are the functional ingredients of lecithins. Their synergistic technological and physiological properties make them attractive and unique candidates for the formulation of functional food. However, there are a lot of hurdles to overcome until an acceptable product in terms of taste and texture can be obtained.

Lecithins are widely used, highly functional standard additives for food. Their phospholipid composition is of great relevance for their technological and even more for their physiological properties. Defined phospholipids and phospholipid mixtures exhibit well-documented nutritional and/or therapeutic benefits.

Even though they are known as food emulsifiers worldwide and although at the same time they have a very positive image, their use in functional food is still limited.

But considering the solid basis of clinical data, there is no doubt that phospholipids will become standard ingredients for this rapidly expanding category of food.