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.
Improved nutritional characteristics of animal products for better nut...
Highlights
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)
The feeding of livestock can have a very significant impact on the resulting milk and meat. Some studies have shown that feeding ruminants on natural pasture leads to products with a higher quality than milk and meat obtained in conventional systems where animals are fed mainly concentrates. This is mostly due to all the bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, vitamins, and flavonoids, present in the herbage that are transferred into milk and meat. Similar to grass-feeding, several by-products of the agri-food industry are rich in bioactive compounds that could be potentially transferred into animal products. However, there are a few studies in which the bioactive compounds present in alternative feed resources (AFR) have been studied to evaluate their transfer into animal products and the implication for humans.
Meat and milk obtained from rearing systems that use agro-industrial by-products and natural feed additives rich in bioactive compounds (e.g., vitamins, phenolic compounds, fatty acids, etc.) will be selected in the production areas.
Animal products selected will be analyzed to evaluate the nutritional and chemical characteristics. An in-depth search for bioactive compounds will be performed on animal products in order to assess the extent of the transfer of these molecules from feed to food. In particular, bioactive fatty acids, vitamins, polyphenols, carotenoids and other antioxidants will be investigated in animal products. Some selected animal products obtained from in vivo trials under AGRITECH project will be also evaluated for the bioactive compounds.
Obtain new knowledge about the transfer of bioactive compounds from alternative feed resources to meat and milk. Observe no detrimental effect or even positive effects on product quality.
Create new knowledge on the impact of feeding ruminants with AFR on the potential functionality for human nutrition. It is expected to observe no detrimental effects, or an improvement of food functionality thanks to the bioactive properties of AFR.
