1. Functional foods
Since ancient times, food has been considered essential
and indispensable to human life. Food provides all the elements
necessary for man to develop not only his physical,
but also all intellectual activities. Numerous studies clearly
show that quality of life is intimately associated with the
type of daily diet, as well as with the lifestyle of each individual
(Moura, 2005).
Foods offering some kind of health benefit first appeared
on the market in the 1960’s. In those days, the media began
to highlight and reinforce the importance of eating right
and that food products and processed foods should retain
the natural attributes of their ingredients. The general