EU project launched to produce health-promoting cereal foods and ingredients

31/08/05 Novel cereal foods can be a meaningful tool in the fight against metabolic syndrome related diseases. Prof. Kaisa Poutanen from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is coordinating the HEALTHGRAIN Integrated Project with 43 partners from 15 European countries. The aim is to produce health-promoting cereal foods and ingredients of a high quality.

Studies have proven over the years that diets rich in whole grain foods offer protection from many chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, bread is currently mostly baked from refined flour, devoid of the nutrients and protective factors present in outer layers of the grains.

The 5-year HEALTHGRAIN project will carry out a multidisciplinary study of the variation, process-induced changes and human metabolism of bioactive compounds in the major European bread grains of wheat and rye. The target bioactive compounds are vitamins (folate, tocols, choline, etc.), phytochemicals (lignans, sterols, alkylresorcinols, phenolic acids) and indigestible carbohydrates. Cereal food structure will be studied in relation to digestibility. The project also aims to reveal the physiological mechanisms underlying the significance of bioactive compounds in the prevention of metabolic syndrome and related diseases. The total budget for the project is 16 million euros.

Consumer studies will be carried out in order to understand consumer expectations of healthy cereal foods. New sources of nutritionally enhanced grain will be identified and generated by experts in plant biotechnology, creating a toolbox of "omics" technologies for breeding. New fractionation and bioprocessing methods for the outer parts of grain kernels will be developed, aiming at products that will also appeal to European consumers sensory-wise. The bioavailability of the bioactive compounds will be determined, and their role together with the glycemic response of food in reducing metabolic risk factors will be studied.

Besides coordinating the project, VTT is responsible for developing novel processing technologies using enzymes and starter cultures, studying the effects of structural features on cereal food digestibility, and studying consumer expectations and perceptions of health claims connected to cereal foods.

For dissemination, a comprehensive technology transfer and dissemination programme has been developed. Publications will be written, conferences, workshops and training courses will be arranged. A web site is also under construction (https://www.healthgrain.org ). For interactive communication, the project has established an Industrial Platform and Nutrition Information Network. The Industrial Platform of already 25 companies ensures effective communication between the HEALTHGRAIN project and actors in the cereal food chain.

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