Kellogg’s Invests in K.U.Leuven Cereal Science and Nutrition Research

Professors Jan Delcour and Kristin Verbeke have been appointed joint holders of the Chair. Kellogg's has invested in the Chair for a period of five years. It is named after William Keith Kellogg, one of the founders of the Kellogg’s Company, which has an obvious interest in the health effects of cereals.

25 Nov 2010 --- The new “W.K.Kellogg Chair in Cereal Science and Nutrition” at K.U.Leuven was inaugurated in Leuven on 18 November 2010 by Professor Marc Waer, Rector of K.U.Leuven and Ms. Margaret Bath, Vice-President for Research, Quality and Technology of the Kellogg Company, Battle Creek, MI, USA. The Chair’s objective is to support education and research in the field of cereal science and nutrition. “This is the first time in its hundred-year history that Kellogg’s is financing fundamental university research,” Margaret Bath says. “We chose K.U.Leuven because it conducts the best research into cereals and fibres.”

Professors Jan Delcour and Kristin Verbeke have been appointed joint holders of the Chair. Kellogg's has invested in the Chair for a period of five years. It is named after William Keith Kellogg, one of the founders of the Kellogg’s Company, which has an obvious interest in the health effects of cereals.

Cereals contain starch, protein and dietary fibre. Both enzyme-resistant starch a non-digestible component of starch and dietary fibre are beneficial to human beings. Enzyme-resistant starch and dietary fibre can neither be digested nor absorbed in the human small intestine, but are (partially) fermented by micro- organisms in the large intestine. During this process, micro organisms produce acetic acid, propanoic acid and butyric acid. The latter is especially important because it provides energy to the cells of the intestinal lining and thus supports the barrier function of these cells in protecting the body from the contents of the intestines. 

The aim of the Chair’s research is to examine the relationship between the consumption of dietary fibre components or enzyme-resistant starch and the production of acetic acid, propanoic acid and butyric acid by intestinal micro organisms. This research will use wheat cultivated under 13C-atmosphere. After it is harvested, the cereal will be divided into starch, protein and dietary fibre components. Enzyme-resistant starch will then be prepared from the starch component. The starch and dietary fibre components will be labelled with 13C, enabling links to be made with the production of acetic acid, propanoic acid and butyric acid. This is the first time such research will be conducted.

Kellogg's attaches great importance to the health effects of its products and conducts intensive research into the relationship between nutrition and health. The company is particularly interested in the research conducted by K.U.Leuven on prebiotic dietary fibres extracted from wheat bran. Prebiotics are (carbohydrate) components in food that are neither digested nor absorbed in the human small intestine and which stimulate beneficial colon microbiota that combat less beneficial micro organisms. One of their positive effects is the production of short-chain fatty acids. Professor Jan Delcour has compiled a patent portfolio in this field, together with Professors Paul Rutgeerts, Kristin Verbeke, Willem Broekaert and Christophe Courtin, among others.