Training a new generation of European scientists in novel functional foods
European consumers are increasingly choosing a healthier lifestyle. Faced with the choice between orange juice and calcium-fortified orange juice, many opt for the latter. There’s a growing market for foods fortified and enriched with vitamins and minerals. The EU-funded BIBAFOODS(opens in new window) project trained 14 young researchers “to provide them with the knowledge and expertise needed to be competitive in the European food and biotech industry,” says project coordinator Prof. Jens Risbo. Specifically, 11 doctoral and 3 postdoctoral students were hired. The main focus was to develop and study vehicles for delivering enzymes and bacteria to food. As such, the goal was to determine how to provide active components via foods to be released at the right time for optimal results. The end result will be novel functional foods. Some examples of so-called functional foods are cereals with vitamin B12 or eggs with omega-3 fatty acids. BIBAFOODS was based only on food-grade ingredients and economically feasible processes. The hypothesis was that the materials and coatings can be made responsive to the external chemical conditions. This would make them suitable for controlled releases targeted at a desired stage during food processing or at a specific point during food digestion. The process involved probiotic bacteria and enzymes that were liberated and allowed to be active in a controllable way. Edible package of enzymes “When making an edible package of enzymes, you end up with a dilemma,” notes Risbo. “The package should protect the goods and the load should be active after delivery. The package should be directed to the right place. The package should be made out of edible food components. The package should ‘open’ and be released in a desired way.” A challenge was to ensure the controlled release of the capsules containing the enzymes or bacteria at the right time during digestion, rather than simply passing through the intestinal tract. It also needed to withstand and protect the enzymes or bacteria for the shelf life of the food item. Probiotic bacteria added to orange juice, for example, explains Risbo, need to withstand the low acidic conditions of the juice for a month. In BIBAFOODS, delivery systems for cheese making were developed based on constituents of milk, so no foreign components were introduced into the food. In this case, enzymes ripening cheese were put in capsules that were directed to the cheese curd rather than the whey. Cheese-making trials were conducted and proteolytic activity – breaking down proteins into smaller polypeptides or amino acids – was enhanced in the cheese. According to Risbo, patents for these delivery systems have been filed. Simulating the gut BIBAFOODS also pioneered several systems for delivery of bacteria through food into the intestinal system. These systems were tested using liquids simulating gastric and intestinal conditions. The ultimate successful materials ensure stability of the active component during long-term storage prior to food production, during food production or during digestion, but at the same time liberating the active component at the right point. “Thanks to BIBAFOODS, 14 researchers were provided with the complementary skills necessary to develop the future sustainable food industry and entrepreneurial skills crucial for creating biotechnological, food-oriented start-up companies,” concludes Risbo. “I am convinced that we now have a group of very skilful scientists on the European job market.”
