Role of Flavor in Health and Wellness Food Products

Health and wellness foodHealth and wellness foods products are typically designed to promote overall human well-being and a sustainable planet. The current health and wellness foodHealth and wellness foods market can be categorized as natural, organic, fortified/functional, better-for-you, and free-from; this market overall is experiencing dramatic growth. Consumers are paying special attention to plant-based proteins, a subset of health and wellness foodsHealth and wellness foods. Flavor (aromaAromas, taste, and trigeminal sensation) is an important sensory attribute which determines consumer food intakeFood intake and re-consumption. Flavor plays many important roles in the health and wellness arena, which include making reduced-sugar, -salt, -fat, and -alcohol food and beverage products as well as increasing the palatability of nutrient fortified foods and masking off-flavorsOff flavors like bitter tasteBitter tastes in plant-based protein products. Additionally, clean-labelClean label flavors such as natural, organic, and free-from flavors provide added value in consumer goods. These new trends, knowledge, and technologies are closely related to product developmentProduct developments and ingredient innovations. Flavor, as one important ingredient for food production, is an area with great growth potential. This chapter will include (1) an introduction of health and wellness foodHealth and wellness foods products, (2) health and wellness foodHealth and wellness foods product nutritional aspects, (3) the perception of aromaAromas, taste, and flavor modulates, (4) the role of flavor and flavor modulates in health and wellness foodHealth and wellness foods products, and (5) major challenges and future perspectives.