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.
Bioactive-rich mushrooms for food reformulation
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).
Identification of nutrient and non-nutrient food components (and their metabolic products) potentially involved in the promotion of consumer health, and evaluation of their bio accessibility, bioavailability, and effect on the gut microbiota, using in silico, in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo approaches on humans/animals to confirm the actual absorption and bioactivity of non-nutrient components also considering specific dietary patterns and target groups.
Evaluation of food-human interactions following the events occurring in the gastrointestinal milieu by both in vitro and in vivo approaches and elucidation of the impact of new foods and corresponding benchmarks.
Prototyping of new sustainable and healthy products to meet consumer needs in terms of nutritional and functional targets, but also sensory characteristics and convenience, thus increasing adoption in the long term by promoting exploitation of the previous implemented approaches (see WP4.1, WP4.2) to develop new pilot food products (food design) also in connection with start-up acceleration programmes (activities are also in connection with Spoke 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)
Evaluation of the bioavailability and bioactivity of at least two components of foods proven to directly impact human health (M36)
Elucidation of the interaction between the selected foods (and benchmarks) and the intestinal milieu (M30)
Quality by design: innovation in food design concept to be applied to different benchmark products (n=4 prototypes) (M24)
Global concerns around the consumption of animal products and the need for new sources of proteins have led to significant growth of the plant-based field including mushrooms. Extracts or powders of bioactive-rich mushrooms (BRM) are used as dietary supplements or functional food, especially in Eastern countries. BRM are nutritionally valuable since they have a significant amount of dietary fiber, proteins, vitamins, trace minerals, and biocompounds (e.g., lectins, phenolics, and volatile organic compounds) while being poor in calories and fat. BRM cultivation can be made sustainable by using farm wastes as substrates and optimizing growing conditions.
In the literature there are still few food applications of BRM biomass, thus the aims of this project will be:
The project will be developed according to the following steps:
Relevant and beneficial results for the scientific community and food industries are expected from this project:
