Chapter 5: Potential of Fatty Components in the Valorization of Foods by Means of Health Claims

This chapter looks at research into the main fatty components of the diet with human health implications and how they may valorize foods and includes nutrition and health claims. The main sources of healthy fatty acids (monosaturated and polyunsaturated) of vegetable and marine origin with application in foods are reviewed, as well as the nutrition and health claims according to European legislation. Animal production practices and technological processing are being studied as the principal strategies to incorporate these healthy fatty components into animal-derived foods in order to valorize them from a nutritional point of view. The consumption of these foods with claims could help prevent cardiovascular diseases, although further nutrition intervention studies are needed to substantiate the alleged beneficial effects. Functional foods constitute an excellent opportunity for the food industry to improve the quality and image of several animal-derived products through the development of foods with health-beneficial properties.