Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2013) defines functional foods as “whole foods along with fortified, enriched, or enhanced foods that have a potentially beneficial effect on health when consumed as part of a varied diet on a regular basis at effective levels based on significant standards of evidence”. Functional food (FF), also known as nutraceuticals,
provide energy in the form of carbohydrates, proteins or lipids, prevent nutrient deficiencies, protect against diseases, aid in proper growth and development and provide numerous other health benefits.

The concept originated in 1980s in Japan when government started approving foods with proven benefits as an effort to boost the health of the general public. Since the introduction of fortified foods, the prevalence of nutrient deficiencies has significantly decreased around the globe. For instance, introduction of iron-fortified wheat flour in Jordan, reduced anaemia cases to half. Cereals, grains, and flours fortified with folic acid decreased the prevalence of neural tube defects by 50–70%

Based on origin, FFs are categorized as: (1) Conventional foods, which are naturally nutrient-rich whole-food ingredients including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, oats and legumes that are rich in nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and heart-healthy fats; (2) Modified foods, or standard foods fortified to boost their nutritional value, for example, bread enriched with folic acid, orange juice fortified with calcium and vitamin D; (3) Medical foods, formulated for dietary management of a disease (like phenylketonuria) wherein nutritional needs cannot be met by a typical diet alone and are to be administered under medical supervision only; and (4) foods for special dietary use, that are similar to medical foods but can be consumed without clinical oversight, for example gluten-free food for individuals with celiac disease, lactose-free dairy products for those with lactose intolerance, etc.
Functional foods have generated considerable interest owing to the pervasiveness of life style diseases like obesity, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular related ailments like blood pressure and cholesterol (Kaur and Singh, 2017). For instance, vitamin D enriched milk prevents osteoporosis, vitamin c fortified fruit juices enhance immunity, omega-3 enriched eggs improve cardio vascular function, and oats containing beta glucan reduce inflammation and improve heart health.

Smart proteins, also known as engineered proteins, are protein molecules that have been specifically created or modified to possess enhanced functional, nutritional, or bioactive properties. They are environmentally benign and mimic the properties of animal proteins (dairy, egg and meat) and are derived from plants (fava bean, lentil, chickpea, quinoa), microbial fermentation and microbial biomass proteins from edible fungi by up-cycling side streams from pasta, bread and beer industries, insects and cell culture meat (CCM) processes.

They mitigate the challenge of limited land availability for poultry or agriculture and can be preferred for long run. Microbial-derived proteins could be the most sustainable option for future owing to higher productivity and ability to grow on low-cost substrates.

Functional foods and smart proteins together provide sustainable, ethical and revolutionary approach to combat both environmental and health-related challenges, thus paves the way towards a better future.

Shaifali Sethi

University/College name : University of Delhi