Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Development of innovative foods through encapsulation and fermentation...
Coordinator
Reformulation or improvement of relevant food products in the national context in order to: a) implement the nutritional characteristics also by reducing antinutrients or using bioprocessed ingredients (from raw products to ingredients) and limit the use of undesirable components (e.g. by using bioactives) along the food system b) improve food formulation and composition based on consumer perception and needs identified for specific target groups (in connection with Spoke 5 and 6) c) promote clear and ad hoc labelling as an information tool (in connection with Spoke 1 and 7) to increase the willingness to buy improved foods d) guarantee safety and affordability of new products (in connection with Spoke 1 and 3).
Selection of raw materials/ingredients with improved nutritional characteristics and limited undesirable components (M12)
Development or implementation of at least two reformulated food products for each food category relevant for the impact on general and at-risk groups (M36)
Definition of quality indicators and sensory properties to be included in the label to standardise authenticity and quality (M30)
In recent years, the demand for functional foods has increased significantly due to a risen consumers’ awareness in health and nutritional related characteristics. In particular, the bakery and pasta sectors have received a large request for products delivering health benefits and/or specifically designed for particular groups of consumers (e.g. celiac, diabetic, etc.). To be accepted and have success on the market, the new products have to be designed and prototyped also by considering the technological performances and the final sensory quality.
Bioactives microencapsulation and legume flour fermentation by Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) can be mentioned as two promising strategies to deliver and improve the nutritional and technological functionality of cereal-based products. Improved shelf-lives, enhanced antioxidant activity, reduction of antinutrient compounds, better structural and sensory properties can be obtained by applying these technologies.
The application of i) encapsulated bioactives and ii) LAB fermentation, to improve the technological, nutritional quality of cereal-based foods (e.g. pasta, bread, snacks with/without gluten), will be performed.
In both cases, the prototypes will be assessed for sensory, physicochemical, nutritional properties in collaboration with the UNIPR nutrition unit.
In addition, the results would be useful to increase the current level of knowledge related to these technological approaches and to their utilization in food design. These results would be also the starting point for the potential scale up of the products at industrial level.
