**4. Conclusion**

Improving the general quality of flour-based confectionery products is a common topic of many recent researches conducted in different fields. Based on the consumers' demand, food scientists and producers are now focusing on developing functional foods.

Given that the production of flour-based confectionery products is one of the most innovative branches of the food industry, as well as the fact that these products are most represented in the diet compared to other confectionery products, the trend of creating food that affects physiological functions and can reduce the risk of various diseases is particularly pronounced.

These products are extremely suitable for improvements and for creating new functional products. Numerous researches show that the addition of dietary fibres from cereals and fruits, as well as by-products produced during fruit processing can improve functional properties while retaining sensory characteristics. Furthermore, enriching these products with raw materials rich in bio-components such as berries and various seeds contributes to an increase in antioxidant activity, while improving sensory properties. Also interesting are researches related to the creation of flour-based confectionery products with probiotic properties.

Particularly important researches are being conducted regarding the substitution of ingredients in biscuits and similar products primarily when it comes to fats and sugars. When talking about the replacement of individual ingredients, it is necessary to take into account complex processes of interaction of water and other components such as fats, starch, proteins and sugar. Fat replacers play a key role in creating products with reduced fat content, i.e. reduced caloric value, and it is important to consider their rheological and physical properties, as well as to adjust process parameters. In the process of creating new flour-based confectionery products, numerous studies include examining the consistency of the dough, adjusting process regimes, as well as evaluating the appearance and texture of these products.

It is necessary to point out the advantages of microencapsulation in the production of functional flour-based confectionery products as a relatively new technique used to enrich various food products. It allows the incorporation of bio-components that are not naturally found in these products or that can be lost during baking. The microencapsulation allows the retention of thermolabile valuable compounds in the product and their gradual release. In addition, this technique allows the incorporation of some substances that extend the self-life of the product, such as cakes, and at the same time camouflage possible uncharacteristic taste and aroma of added components, which can jeopardise the overall sensory impression of the product if added directly during mixing. It is to be expected that this method, due to its numerous benefits, will be increasingly adopted in the production of flourbased confectionery products. However, its application in practice is still limited due to the possibility of raising product prices, which is an additional challenge for manufacturers.

Some different directions in producing functional flour-based confectionery products are sometimes difficult to implement in practice due to strict consumer demands to select and buy high value nutritive food with desirable sensory properties. However, producers mostly take into account the consumers' awareness of the importance of functional food and their willingness to buy such products. Anyway, continuous education of consumers to select high value nutritive food and estimate food quality is needed, especially regarding confectionery products.
