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Content archived on 2024-04-30

Improvement of production, stability and functional properties of exopolysaccharides from thermophilic lactic acid bacteria to obtain natural products with enhanced texture and quality

Objective

Many processes and products are dependent on stable complex interactions between different polymers. Thus the food industry world-wide uses 70,000 tonnes of polysaccharides as thickening agents, stabilisers and texturisers per year. This market is expanding as products become more complex and diverse. Plantderived additives such as starch, cellulose, pectin, guar gum, tragacanth are commonly used to modify texture and viscosity. Alginate, carageenan and chitosan from seaweed and crustaceans are similarly used. The use of microbial xanthan is recent, although many strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) associated with natural fermentations (milk, meat, cereal, grain and legumes) also produce polysaccharides.

Exploitation of novel heteropolysaccharides from LAB to improve food quality and for development of healthy foods can only be realised if structure/function relationships and mode of synthesis are known. This requires an understanding of how variability in composition and yield occurs; how it may be controlled at the genetic and biochemical level; how synthesis can be enhanced by process engineering and how exopolysaccharide structure relates to the physical properties displayed in the food. Work under the previous FRAMEWORK programmes has provided knowledge of genetic maps, particularly for the lactococci, there is still a need for establishing protocols at the process control level. This is particularly so for the thermophilic strains of LAB, which are now known to produce complex heteropolysaccharides with greater potential. The programme falls within Area 3 (Generic Science) and has particula relevance in understanding the role of microorganisms in food systems (dairy products in this case); the influence of metabolites (exopolysaccharides) on micro-structure and the contribution of these to the processing (ie fermentation) of milk into dairy products. The aims of the proposal therefore are to: - establish fermentation protocols for production of stable, functional polysaccharides

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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Coordinator

The University of Huddersfield
EU contribution
No data
Address
Queensgate
HD1 3DH Huddersfield
United Kingdom

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Total cost

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Participants (2)

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