Functional Foods of Latin America
The Hispanic population is the largest and fastest-growing minority in the United States. Due to this influx of immigration and high birth rates, the consumption of foods from Latin America has been rapidly increasing among Americans. However, scientific information regarding their composition, flavor characteristics, identification of bioactive compounds, processing, and potential health benefits is limited, thus constraining their commercialization in the U.S.
Session 112 Functional Foods of Latin America: Flavor, Health Benefits, and Opportunities for Commercialization will take place on Wednesday morning from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 pm in Room N116. It will address research advances on the identification of bioactive compounds and their potential health benefits and optimized processing methods of commonly consumed Hispanic foods as well as other Latin American foods that have not yet been fully commercialized in America. Foods to be included are common beans, hot peppers, vanilla, and novel grains such as amaranth and quinoa, as well as lesser known foods in the U.S., such as loroco, nopal, and pacaya, among others.
