Editorial: Underutilized Ingredients in Innovative Food Formulations

The rapid change in eating habits and consumer demands for healthy food are the driving motives for food industries to formulate new food products. Innovative food formulations are either very expensive or based on targeted customers. Low glycemic foods, fiber enriched products, plant-based meat formulations, and functional foods are predominating the in-food innovations. However, to attain sustainability and promote zero food waste, it is extremely important to explore food byproducts and underutilized food sources. Among food byproducts, peels, seeds, pomace have great potential and can be used for the extraction of bioactive and functional components for subsequent incorporation in innovative food formulations. Similarly, millets are excellent sources of quality proteins and sweet potatoes are rich sources of bioactive carbohydrates, proteins, carotenoids, and minerals. Innovative formulations are not only based on innovative ingredients but also innovative or modern food processing can contribute toward better food products in terms of functional, nutritional, and quality attributes.