Utilisation of Diospyros kaki L. (persimmon) as a functional ingredient to produce functional foods: a review Naman Kaur, Anjana Kumari, Aparna Agarwal and Manisha Sabharwal Department of Food and Nutrition and Food Technology, Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India, and Saumya Dipti Sontsa Beverage and Foods Ltd, New Delhi, India Abstract Purpose – This study aims to discuss the nutritional value and potential nutraceutical properties of Diospyros kaki L. (DKL); to encapsulate recent studies conducted across the world to develop functional foods using different parts of Persimmon fruit to emphasise on the need for further research on Persimmon fruit. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology of the study involved surveying primary and secondary information generated in the respective field of interest. The papers found most suited for the research problem and objective of the study were selected. The perspectives taken by different studies and researchers were synthesised to generate a solution to the research problems and to bridge the research gaps in the field. Findings – As a result of the global rise in the prevalence of metabolic disorders, researchers are aimed at identifying nutrient rich foods and techniques to develop functional foods for the population. Researchers have recognised the role of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and probiotics, are now interested in leveraging these foods by incorporating them in conventional foods, such as breads, jams, pastas and yoghurts as functional ingredients. One such food that has gained the interests of various researchers is DKL. Owing to its rich macro-and micro-nutrient, as well as phytochemical content various studies have been conducted to explore the possibility of using it as a functional ingredient to develop a range of foods. Research limitations/implications – A limited studies are available that have investigated the effect of the functional foods developed using different parts of Persimmon fruit on different ailments. The authors sincerely acknowledge the faculty of the Department of Food and Nutrition, Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, for supporting this study. Fundings: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. Conflict of interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest during the course of conducting the research. All the authors had a final decision regarding the manuscript and decision to submit the findings for publication. Ethics approval – NA. Consent to participate –NA. Consent for publication – NA. Availability of data and material – NA. Code availability – NA. Authors’ contributions – AA conceptualised the manuscript. NK has written the manuscript. MS, AK and SD have reviewed the manuscript. Functional foods Received 10 November 2021 Revised 10 December 2021 14 December 2021 Accepted 17 December 2021 Nutrition & Food Science © Emerald Publishing Limited 0034-6659 DOI 10.1108/NFS-11-2021-0337 The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/0034-6659.htm