Chapter 19 - Bioactive compounds of fruits, vegetables and their coproducts in the development of dairy functional products

Abstract

Milk and dairy products have been widely studied as food matrices for the development of functional foods, mainly due to their high nutritional quality and potential health benefits, great consumers’ acceptance, and wide technological versatility. In addition, fruits and vegetables in several forms, including fresh, juices, powder, puree, and extract, and their coproducts are important sources of bioactive compounds (dietary fiber, polyphenols, carotenoids, natural colorants, minerals, vitamins, phytoestrogens, and anthocyanins, among others), which are receiving increased attention for their potential health benefits. Therefore the development of functional dairy products with the addition of some of these bioactive compounds is currently a very promising research line for the dairy industry. The technological strategy used for their incorporation into the different dairy matrices (yogurts, cheeses, ice creams, dairy desserts, etc.) and their effect on the nutritional improvement of the product, the stability of the incorporated bioactive compounds, and the sensory acceptance of the final dairy product will be discussed.