FFC37 Conference Sessions and Topics

The 37th International Conference on Functional Foods and Bioactive Compounds brings together leading experts to discuss the latest research, innovations, and real-world applications in the field. Below, you will find details on each session, covering emerging topics in functional food science, gut microbiota, metabolic disease management, and more. 

Session 1: Functional Foods: Concepts, Regulations, and Market Strategies
This session examines the distinctions and overlaps between healthy foods, functional foods, and medical foods, and how these categories are defined and regulated globally. It will highlight key regulatory and labeling frameworks, together with the Functional Food Center’s scientific approach to functional food development, and will also touch on effective positioning and marketing strategies for successful commercialization.

Session 2: Food Bioactive Compounds – Sources, Digestibility, Bioavailability and Health Benefits
This session focuses on key dietary sources of bioactive compounds, how digestion and metabolism affect their stability, and strategies to enhance bioavailability and delivery. It will also address safe and effective dosages for use in functional foods and nutraceuticals, and critically evaluate the scientific evidence supporting their health benefits.

Session 3: Food Safety, Functional Ingredients and Public Health
This session focuses on the scientific and regulatory requirements for ensuring that bioactive-rich foods and functional food products are safe, effective, and acceptable for human consumption. Topics include risk assessment, clinical validation, toxicology, biomarkers, GRAS/FCC frameworks, and regulatory pathways.

Session 4: Functional Foods and Bioactive Compounds in Chronic Disease Prevention and Management
This session explores the role of functional foods and bioactive compounds in reducing the risk and progression of major chronic diseases, including cardiovascular, metabolic, inflammatory, neurodegenerative, and cancer-related conditions. Emphasis will be placed on mechanistic pathways, clinical and epidemiological evidence, and practical applications for integrating functional foods into prevention and management strategies.

Session 5: Functional Foods for Healthy Aging
This session examines the biological processes of aging and their links to chronic diseases, and highlights the role of nutrition and functional bioactive compounds in supporting healthy metabolic, immune, and cognitive function. Particular attention will be given to antioxidants, polyphenols, omega-3 fatty acids, and other bioactives that promote resilience and quality of life in aging populations.

Session 6: Bioactive Compounds in Metabolic Disease Management
This session focuses on the role of bioactive compounds in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, and supporting gut microbiota balance in the context of metabolic disorders. Discussions will address hypertension, weight management, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome, emphasizing dietary and functional food strategies for prevention and management.

Session 7: Artificial Intelligence in Functional Food Science
This session explores how AI can support the entire functional food development pipeline—from optimizing bioactive ingredient combinations and formulations to improving production, supply chain efficiency, and quality control. Presentations will cover AI tools for food safety monitoring and contamination detection, as well as data-driven approaches for personalized nutrition, dietary recommendations, and the integration of AI into the Functional Food Center’s 17-step development model.

Session 8: Food Bioactive Compounds and Gut Microbiota
This session examines how food bioactive compounds shape the composition and function of the gut microbiota and their implications for chronic disease prevention and management. Topics include probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics, as well as the gut–brain axis and the role of microbiota-targeted functional foods in supporting metabolic, immune, and mental health.

Session 9: Functional Foods, Nutrition and Public Health Strategies
This session focuses on how functional foods and evidence-based nutrition can be integrated into public health policies and community interventions to reduce the burden of chronic diseases. Discussions will address dietary guidelines, population-based strategies, health education, and the role of functional foods in national and regional prevention programs, with special attention to practical implementation in real-world settings.

Session 10: Reasearch and Development for Functional Food Products Targeting Chronic and Infectious Diseases
This session focuses on research and development strategies for creating functional food products aimed at chronic and infectious disease prevention and management. Topics include consumer acceptance, nutritional composition analysis, innovative delivery systems for bioactive compounds, and the evaluation of new products using the fundamental principles and 17-step model of functional food science.

Session 11: Clinical Nutrition and Functional Foods in Disease Prevention and Patient Care
This session highlights the clinical application of nutrition and functional foods in both prevention and patient care, including the use of bioactive compounds, dietary interventions, and functional ingredients to support treatment outcomes and disease management. Presentations will emphasize clinical evidence, biomarkers, precision nutrition, and translational strategies for integrating functional foods into medical practice and healthcare systems.

Session 12: Bioactive Compounds, Nutrition and Urological Health
This session examines the emerging role of diet and bioactive compounds in supporting urological health, including prevention and management of kidney disorders, urinary tract conditions, and prostate health. Topics include renal nutrition strategies, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant interventions, microbiota-related mechanisms, and clinical evidence linking nutritional bioactives to improved urological outcomes.