# Food Products with High Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities and Their Sensory Appreciation
## 1 Introduction  
Fermented dairy products are highly valued by consumers for their health benefits. They can be consumed from an early age [1]. The nutritional characteristics of fermented dairy products are determined by the nutrients present in the milk, those from other ingredients and those resulting as metabolites generated by the fermentation of lactic acid bacteria. Lactic fermentation causes changes in the composition, consisting of the production of lactic acid from lactose and the formation of peptides and amino acids from proteins and fatty acids from lipids [2]. The demand for healthy and nutritious foods is growing worldwide. It is desirable to make food products that, in addition to satisfying the need for food, also bring numerous nutritional contributions to the health of the consumer [3]. Due to the intensification of food production, many changes take place in terms of the quality and safety of these products [4]. Creating products capable of meeting food and health needs is of great interest due to theincrease in economic competitiveness [5]. Food processors must produce foods that prevent consumers from becoming sick and help to improve their physical and mental health [3]. A major stress factor for people is the current situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the strict but necessary measures that have been taken to prevent the spread of the virus. Doctors recommend adopting a healthy lifestyle so that the transition is easier over this period and to mitigate the effects caused by the pandemic stress. Without adopting a healthy lifestyle, or avoiding sedentarism as much as possible, people can develop anxiety, depression or cardiovascular and mental diseases [6]. After several studies, it was found that volatile oils make an extraordinary contribution to the health of consumers. These oils are extracted either from the aerial part of the plant or from its root [7]. Volatile oils are increasingly being used in the pharmaceutical and food industries due to their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. The rising interest in natural substances has led to the growing interest in finding new applications for these substances [8]. The volatile oils extracted from certain plants have antimicrobial action. This action is visible on the pathogenic bacteria _Listeria monocytogenes_, _Listeria innocua_ and _Salmonella typhimurium_. Volatile oils also have antioxidant activity. Free radicals cause the oxidation of biomolecules, including proteins, amino acids and DNA, and produce molecular changes related to aging, arteriosclerosis and cancer [9]. Fennel (_Foeniculum vulgare_ L.) belongs to the _Umhelliferae_ family and is an aromatic plant considered one of the oldest cultivated medicinal plants in the world [10]. In Romania, fennel is grown in the Moldova, Dobrogea, Timis and Oltenia areas. The most important fennel compounds are trans-anethole (63.30%), pinene (11.11%) and fencone (8.32%) [11]. Fennel volatile oil has antioxidant and antimicrobial capacities [12]. Regarding antimicrobial activity, in 2013, [PERSON] et al. conducted a study investigating its antimicrobial capacity against _Escherichia coli_ bacteria. The results showed that this type of volatile oil has high antimicrobial activity [13]. In 2018, [PERSON] et al. conducted another study using the disc diffusion method, which is also called the Kirby-Bauer method. The result of this method demonstrated high antimicrobial activity [14]. In the study conducted by [PERSON] and [PERSON] in 2017, the antioxidant activity of fennel essential oil was measured using the DPPH (2,2-diphenylicryl hydrazyl) method. This study showed that fennel volatile oil has a high antioxidant activity [15]. Lavender (_Larandula angustifolia_) is part of the _Lamiaceae_ family and is an aromatic plant used in folk medicine to relieve stress and anxiety [16]. Lavender volatile oil is a complex blend of mono alcohols and sesquiterpenoids, esters, oxides and ketones [17].