SUSTAIN-A-BITE: HEALTH & SUSTAINABILITY BY INNOVATIVE FOOD PRODUCTS & PROCESSES
The EU‐funded Sustain‐a‐bite project is set to redefine plant‐based eating with nutritious, minimally processed foods that propel health and sustainability, one bite at a time.
Factsheet
- Schools involved School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences
- Institute(s) Consumer-focused Food Production
- Research unit(s) Food Business and Marketing
- Funding organisation Europäische Union
- Duration (planned) 01.10.2024 - 31.03.2028
- Head of project Prof. Dr. Thomas Brunner
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Project staff
Prof. Dr. Thomas Brunner
Dr. Barbara Franco Lucas -
Partner
VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland LTD
University of Vaasa, Finland
University of Porto
Institutul Național de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Bioresurse Alimentare – IBA, and others - Keywords Non-thermal processing, germination, fermentation, nutrient bio-accessibility & bio-availability, in vitro models, sustainability, consumer science, sensory, cereals, legumes, side-stream upcycling
Situation
Sustain-a-bite has the ambition to develop innovative, affordable, energy and water efficient minimal processing solutions for plantbased ingredient and food production. The produced food prototypes will ensure maximal nutritional quality and health benefits, taking into account consumer perspectives. Sustain-a-bite food prototypes aim to diversify the use of plant ingredients in various forms, including liquids, semisolids, and solids. This goes beyond addressing just the "protein challenge," as it utilizes the entire plant matrix to provide not only protein but also dietary fibre, essential minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins. This approach maximizes nutritional quality and offers associated health benefits.
Course of action
Our approach is to combine bioprocesses and non-thermal treatments. This novel co-(bio)processing concept will make a paradigm shift by disrupting the traditional plant ingredient processes, which generate substantial side-streams during production of highly refined isolates or concentrates. The minimal processing solutions developed in Sustain-a-bite will aim at tailoring the structural architecture of the raw materials towards reduced anti-nutritional factors, enhanced satiety, nutrient bio-accessibility, and sensory quality. We will evaluate the effect of processing on macro- and micronutrient bioavailability, protein, and starch digestibility as well as gut microbiome by developing improved realistic predictive in vitro models. Sustainability, health and economic impacts of minimal processing will be assessed both at the product and system scales.
