Bioactive-loaded nanocarriers for functional foods: from designing to bioavailability

In recent years, researchers' concern for the applications of nanotechnologies in the food industry has grown exponentially. This has led to a major change in both consumer and producer behaviours. Thus, recent findings have shown that consumers increasingly prefer value-added foods, which provide significant health benefits. In this context, new approaches have emerged in the design of functional foods, such as the 'reverse engineering' approach that ensures the necessary conditions for designing sustainable 'nano-food' systems, in accordance with the requirements of the consumer. The stages of nano-food design using the reverse engineering method, the factors affecting the bioavailability of nanoencapsulated biocomponents and the fortification of foods with bioactive-loaded nanocarriers are briefly analyzed in this review.