Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) is one of the five major healthy foods for humans and is recognized as the "king of the world fruit", which has attracted great interest in the phytogenic prebiotics market. Blueberry fruit is favored for its delicious taste and its various functional ingredients (organic acids, phenolics, minerals and vitamins) with multitherapeutic value (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, neuroprotective and vision improvement properties). However, fresh blueberries are highly perishable since they are vulnerable to mechanical damage and microbial decay, resulting in a short shelf life and inevitable subsequent economic losses. Due to the strong seasonal availability and limited storage period of blueberries, their derived bioactive products have emerged as functional foods. Novel food developments that are currently available include blueberry fruit juice, wine, vinegar, jam, dried fruit, pulp powder, colorant and flavoring additives used in cake, biscuit, bread, yogurt, and jelly. This review systematically describes the current status of blueberry fruit as bioactive ingredients and valuable food products with greater nutraceutical health potential of blueberries.
Keywords: Blueberry fruit; Food products; Functional ingredients; Therapeutic value.
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