The Pros and Cons of Incorporating Bioactive Compounds Within Food Networks and Food Contact Materials: a Review.

There has been a growing tendency towards the development of healthier and more nutritious foods in this day and age. Correspondingly, these foods, frequently designated "functional," contain bioactive ingredients, and interestingly, some agricultural and industrial residues have proven to be prominent choices for the production of bioactive compounds, labeled as potentially safe natural sources of functional agents for the food sector. Bioactive ingredients are required for healthy living and are capable of treating/preventing diseases or disorders; moreover, they can impose some techno-functional and sensorial properties on the food matrix and can be applied to enhance the shelf life of food products in food packaging systems. Nonetheless, bioactive ingredients may not always endow beneficial properties in food networks and could sometimes lead to detrimental effects considering health issues and functional properties of the food networks, reducing the desirability of the final food product. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to choose the right set of bioactive ingredients concerning the formulation of the intended food product. Accordingly, this revision enlarges upon the advantages of using bioactive ingredients within food systems and glances over the side of the argument as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]