Undoubtedly, the primary and secondary metabolites of food have a decisive impact on both their qualitative characteristics and their nutritional value. A large part of research efforts is devoted to finding new natural sources of these compounds, as well as creating similar synthetic ones. At the same time, efforts are made to improve food processing and preservation methods, as well as develop new technologies, aiming not only for their positive contribution to the sensory quality of food, but also to ensure the high bioavailability of these compounds.

This book aims to upgrade and organize knowledge for a better understanding of the effect that the composition, structure, and "friendly" or "hostile" relationships of food components have on their physicochemical and functional behavior. This knowledge is a fundamental prerequisite for easily understanding the regulatory effect of their changes during food processing and preservation, both in terms of sensory quality and nutritional value.

The first chapter analyzes the relationship between the structure of water and its functional properties, which are directly related to the hydrophilic or hydrophobic behavior of the other components of food. The second chapter is dedicated to amino acids and proteins, the third to carbohydrates, the fourth to lipids, and the fifth to the natural pigments of food. [...]

(from the book's preface)