There is a growing global awareness of the link between good diet and health. This fascinating book reviews various functional foods or nutraceuticals and the bio-active compounds they contain in order to identify the role of bioactive compounds such as nisin, micronutrients, and hydrocolloids in the diet in overall human health. It also provides up-to-date information on functional elements like antioxidants, dietary fibres, pre & probiotics, vitamins and mineral-enriched foods in the human diet. Consisting of fifteen chapters, the book offers a systematic review of the key factors in the preparation of functional foods from selected sources, and also describes the processing, preservation and packaging of a range of functional food products.