Microorganisms in functional food supplementation: a review

Abstract

Use of microbial systems for functional foods supplementation can be defined into fermentative process by starter cultures, use of probiotics microorganisms and use of microbial biomass. Scientific and technical aspects as related to use of microorganisms in functional foods supplementation are highly diverse and complex, since they have to deal with the viability of probiotic strains as well as with the safe production, nutritional composition and acceptability of the new product. However, limited information is available on the microorganisms which can be used in functional food supplements, as well as how to use these microorganisms and generation of products. This review reports details of this information. The data from this review can be useful to support the development of new functional products, with microbial supplementation, for the market.