Foods and supplements

This chapter focuses on new opportunities for the application of polyphenols in the food industry as new additives, with technological features that could contribute to replace the currently used synthetic molecules, which guarantee the proper preservation of manufactured food products (when used as inhibitors, for instance) and/or to enhance the physical properties of foods and foodstuffs. In this regard, polyphenols have been pointed out as an alternative to synthetic preservatives currently used in response to market and consumers' demands. Thus this chapter will describe those factors related to the activity and properties of phenolic compounds, and the extent in which they can be used by the agro-food industry. Regarding regulations, the approval of the application of natural additives by the food industry on a legal framework that guarantee the safety and quality of foods should be carried out under the supervision and approval of regulatory bodies such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Europe, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, and Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan, among others.