Functionalization of pasta through the incorporation of bioactive compounds from agri-food by-products: Fundamentals, opportunities, and drawbacks

Background: Global strategies promoting healthy diets have rarely succeeded because of the resistance posed to the modification of consumers' preferences. In this scenario, the addition of bioactive compounds to highly consumed foods, such as pasta, represents an opportunity to promote healthier lifestyles through the consumption of functional products, without drastically changing consumer habits.Scope and approach: This review presents a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of pasta functionalization through the addition of agri-food by-products, with a specific focus on the engineering strategies and the utilization of clean technologies to overcome the drawbacks associated with product quality. Key findings and conclusions: Pasta, one of the most consumed products worldwide, can be re-designed as a carrier for bioactive compounds, which are not consumed in sufficient amounts in the daily diet. This review provides a critical analysis of the use for pasta functionalization of bioactive compounds from agri-food by-products, such as dietary fibers, proteins, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids, focusing on their techno-functional properties and long-term beneficial effects as the most critical factors to be controlled during pasta production together with the preservation of quality attributes, also through suitable operational strategies to tackle the main processing challenges associated with pasta functionalization. In the frame of the zero waste economy, the exploitation of nonthermal technologies to fully unlock bioactive components from agri-food products but also enhancing enhance their functionality and activity represents a noteworthy opportunity for the pasta industry to satisfy the increasing consumers' demand for greener products, cleaner labels, and sustainable processes.

Automated summary

This review explores the engineering strategies and clean technologies used to functionalize pasta through the addition of agri-food by-products. As one of the most consumed products globally, pasta can be re-designed to act as a carrier for bioactive compounds, promoting healthier diets. The review emphasizes the key factors that need to be controlled during pasta production, such as the techno-functional properties of bioactive compounds and their long-term beneficial effects. It also highlights the use of nonthermal technologies to extract and enhance the functionality and activity of bioactive components, providing a significant opportunity for the pasta industry to meet the increasing demand for greener products, cleaner labels, and sustainable processes.