Food Quality and Innovation

Food products used as ingredients may be stripped of some unwanted nutritional characteristics, or may undergo a biofortification process to enhance nutritional benefits. By combining traditional or improved ingredients, formulated food products can meet the nutritional demands of the population. Research into new technologies to develop healthier dairy products, especially focused on the reduction of sodium and fat content and the use of prebiotics to improve their beneficial effects for health and improve sensory acceptance.

Researchers

Manuel Castillo Zambudio
Victoria Ferragut Pérez
Bibiana Juan Godoy
Jordi Saldo Periago
Antonio José Trujillo Mesa

Projects

Foods with improved nutritional profiles for populations with specific nutritional requirements. RIS3CAT communities (2015-2018)

Financed by ACCIÓ, Agency for the competitiveness of the company, Generalitat de Catalunya.
Participants: Carinsa-Creacions Aromáticas Industrials SA (Leader), Laboratorios Grand Fontaine, Alifarma, Dr Healthcare, Casa Mas Alimentació, Sosteca, CIRTTA-UAB and Technological Center for Nutrition and Health.
This is a broad project with different goals. Our participation consists in the production of lactose-free sodium-reduced cheeses. High sodium intake negatively affects consumer health, so there is active interest in reducing sodium levels in dairy products. We study the production of lactose-free and salt-reduced cheeses without modifying their sensory characteristics and the acceptability of the cheeses.

Contact person: ( Bibiana.Juan@uab.cat )

Evaluation of the effect of colostrum on milk and cheese quality, and its possible use to improve low-fat cheese. 2021-2025

Funded by: National University of Chimborazo (Ecuador)
Researcher responsible for the project: Davinia Sánchez Macía.
Colostrum is the initial milk secreted by mammals after parturition, its composition and physicochemical properties are highly dynamic and variable. The aim of this study is to evaluate the presence of colostrum in cheese milk, its technological characteristics to produce fresh cheese and ripening, and its possible use to produce low-fat cheese.

EVALXARTA 2013. New functional ingredient (pressurized whey proteins) for the production of low-fat cheese with improved nutritional and sensory characteristics
Use of high hydrostatic pressure on milk serum proteins to use them as a functional ingredient for the improvement of low-fat cheeses. Denaturation of serum proteins by high pressure produced an ingredient with improved functional characteristics with a wide range of applications. One of them, the production of low-fat cheeses with improved nutritional and sensory characteristics.
Contact person: ( Toni.Trujillo@uab.cat )

Development of gluten-free bread through formulation and technological alternatives to improve sensory characteristics, extend shelf life and guarantee nutritional properties.

Researchers

Marta Capellas Puig

Projects

Gluten-free bread production related to nutrition, sensory characteristics and shelf life
Gluten-free bread production poses multiple challenges related to nutrition, sensory characteristics, and shelf life that can be addressed through formulation and processing. Legume flours have been studied as alternative protein sources and, among them, chickpea flour has shown emulsifying properties that contribute to improving bread volume. The combination of tiger and chickpea flours allows the elimination of the emulsifier and the shortening of the formulation. The chestnut flour dough improves the specific volume of the gluten-free bread, and the texture and structure of the crumb. Dough technology can contribute to improving the nutritional aspects of gluten-free bread, since it allows increasing the fiber content without deteriorating the texture of the bread, decreases the glycemic response and contributes to increasing the bioavailability of minerals.
Contact person: Marta Capellas (marta.capellas@uab.cat).

Today, consumers increasingly demand high quality, safe and healthy food products. Nanostructured emulsions may have the potential to protect and enhance the release and biological activity of encapsulated active compounds commonly incorporated into food products, such as natural antimicrobials and nutraceuticals, while protecting or even enhancing their functional properties.

Researchers

Victoria Ferragut Pérez
Bibiana Juan Godoy
Antonio José Trujillo Mesa

Projects

Bioactive emulsifiers functionalized by homogenization at ultra high pressure (UHPH) for the microencapsulation of vegetable oils. Application to milk-based products

AGL2017-83331-R. Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. Period: 2018-21

Submicron emulsions (<1 μm) can be produced by homogenization at ultra-high pressure and can be used as carriers of bioactive compounds (omega-3, CLA, etc.), opening great expectations for new applications in the sector alimentary and also in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors. In this project, emulsions will be formulated with various types of oils, with different oxidation propensities (sunflower and chia) and different types of protein concentrates rich in fat globule membrane, rich in proteins and phospholipids, as emulsifying material. In these emulsions, the effect of the type and concentration of the emulsifiers used, the level of pressure applied and the concentration of oil in the emulsion on its stability of physicochemical characteristics will be assessed.

Contact persons: Antonio J. Trujillo (Toni.Trujillo@uab.cat) i Victoria Ferragut (Victoria.Ferragut@uab.cat)

Modification of the by-products of the food industry and low-quality basic foods through biochemical, biological or physical processes to release their full potential by obtaining fractions rich in some functional ingredients (such as increasing the proportion of soluble fiber or producing fractions rich in bioactive peptides), or using the modified ingredient in the formulation of new or improved ones

Researchers

Bibiana Juan Godoy
Montserrat Mor-Mur Francesch
Jordi Saldo Periago
Antonio José Trujillo Mesa