A growing awareness of the relationship between diet and health  has led to an increasing demand for food
products that support health beyond simply providing basic nutrition. Digestive
health is the largest segment of the burgeoning functional food market worldwide. Incorporation of bioactive
oligosaccharides into foods can yield health benefits in the gastrointestinal
tract and other parts of the body that are linked via the immune system.
Because oligosaccharides can be added to a wide variety of foodstuffs, there is
much interest within the food industry in incorporating these functional
ingredients into healthy food products. Moreover, other areas such as
pharmaceuticals, bioenergy and environmental science can exploit the
physicochemical and physiological properties of bioactive oligosaccharides too.
There is therefore a considerable demand for a concentrated source of
information on the development and characterization of new oligosaccharides
with novel and/or improved bioactivities.

Food Oligosaccharides: Production, Analysis and Bioactivityis a comprehensive reference on the
naturally occurring and synthesised oligosaccharides, which will enable food
professionals to select and use these components in their products. It is
divided into three sections: (i) Production and bioactivity of
oligosaccharides, (ii) Analysis and (iii) Prebiotics in Food Formulation. The
book addresses classical and advanced techniques to structurally characterize and
quantitatively analyse food bioactive oligosaccharides. It also looks at practical
issues faced by food industry professionals seeking to incorporate prebiotic
oligosaccharides into food products, including the effects of processing on
prebiotic bioavailability. This book is essential reading for food researchers
and professionals, nutritionists and product developers working in the food
industry, and students of Food Science with an interest in functional foods.