Ways and Means for the Infusion of Bioactive Constituents in Solid Foods

The development and consumption of functional food, or foods that promote health not merely basic nutrition, is on rise. In recent years, industrial and consumer interests have focused on developing foods supplemented with bioactive constituents that provide greater physiological benefits. The direct addition of these components to liquid or fabricated solid foods has led to a wide range of new products appearing on the market. Osmotic dehydration, an operation in which food stuff is soaked in solution of low water activity, has been reported as a suitable technology for formulating new products because of the twofold effect that it has on food where it partially removes water and impregnates the food pieces (solid food matrix) with solutes from the osmotic solution. The article focuses on the impregnation of bioactive constituents having added advantage to human health such as antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and probiotics. The infusion of enzymes and aroma also has been discussed. Application of ultrasound, vacuum, high pressure, and/or atmospheric impregnation techniques appears to be the feasible technologies for impregnation of solid food matrix for the incorporation of bioactive ingredients.