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.
Cereal-based processed foods: mitigation of Maillard reaction unintend...
Highlights
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).
Innovation of food (bio)processing using smart and mild technologies and fermentation to improve nutritional quality while ensuring safety and environmental sustainability throughout the shelf life of foods. Nutritional quality and biodiversity are targeted through both advanced and sustainable processes (including encapsulation) to preserve and improve at-risk (micro)nutrient composition of relevant food categories and exploiting microbiological and biotechnological applications to impact on nutritional quality. Such (bio)technological approaches (e.g., fermentation, enzyme treatments, etc.) are validated by process markers also directed to ensure food production safety and quality targeting new food habits (e.g., ready to eat food and novel food consumption) and sustainability, promoting production efficiency and utilisation of alternative sources (in connection with Spoke 2 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)
Systematic evaluation of existing food processing gaps and constraints in terms of impact on nutritional quality, safety, and sustainability in the national scenario (M12)
Raw materials play a primary role in ensuring food quality and sustainability. Small grain cereals, such as wheats, barley, oats, triticale and rye are the pillar for the improvement of Mediterranean diet for their content in functional molecules. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) claim highlight that barley and beta-glucans improve blood cholesterol concentration, increase satiety reducing energy intake and postprandial glycemic response, improving digestive function. Moreover, oats grains have peculiar compositional characteristics that make them a unique source for healthy food.
Maillard reaction (MR) plays a key role in thermal treatments involved in the processing of food/cereal, being responsible for several attributes related to quality and safety. Undesired effects of the MR have also been highlighted, such as heat damage of the proteins, assessable through the measurement of furosine, and neo-formation of chemical contaminants, such as acrylamide (EU Commission Regulation, 2017/2158) and furfurals. Thus, measures to mitigate the extent of these unintended effects of MR, while keeping the desired effects on food quality, need to be carefully considered.
