Technological developments (chilled, functional and designer foods)

Technological Developments

Chilled foods are typically stored at temperatures between 0°C and 5°C to slow down the growth of harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
The growth of the chilled food market is attributed to the rising demand for convenient, high quality and ready-to-eat meals.
Care must be taken while handling chilled foods. Make sure to keep cold foods cold to prevent bacterial growth.
Examples of chilled foods are ready meals, desserts, meats and dairy products such as cheese, milk, and yoghurt.

Functional foods are enhanced or enriched with additional nutrients to promote health and prevent diseases.
These foods offer potential health benefits beyond basic nutrition and can have a positive effect on wellbeing.
Functional foods include fortified breakfast cereals, probiotic yoghurts, omega-3 enriched eggs, and cholesterol reducing spreads.
Research is key when dealing with functional foods, as not all claims made by food manufacturers are backed up by scientific evidence.

Designer foods are developed with specific health goals in mind. These are essentially a sub-category of functional foods.
Nutrients are carefully selected and combined to meet the dietary requirements of certain groups of people, for instance, sportspeople or the elderly.
Designer foods can also target specific health issues. For example, foods low in saturated fat, high in fibre, or fortified with certain vitamins can assist in reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
A growing trend in designer foods relates to gut health, with foods being developed that contain beneficial bacteria or fibre to support the digestive system.