Award details

Programmed emulsions for reduced levels of salt or sugar in liquid and semi-liquid foods

Reference	BBS/E/F/00042772
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Peter Wilde
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Quadram Institute Bioscience
Department	Quadram Institute Bioscience Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	50,498
Status	Current
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/01/2016
End date	31/03/2018
Duration	26 months

Abstract

This project aims to develop a method to reduce the salt or sugar levels of liquid and semi-liquid foods where salt or sugar is primarily added for taste rather than preservation. We hypothesise that the salt / sugar levels can be reduced without taste compromise by encapsulation in emulsions which break down in the mouth releasing pockets of salt/sugar close to the taste receptors. The proposed technology enabler is a starch based shell design of water-in-oil-in-water (wow) emulsions with a natural break down pathway when brought into contact with saliva. We will use wow multiple emulsions which are oil-in-water (o/w) emulsions where the oil droplets are filled with water droplets. We will incorporate salt / sugar into these water droplets, which will be released in the mouth. This has recently been demonstrated to be possible with OSA starch that is well known to be a good emulsifier, and breakdown in the mouth. In this project physical modification through extrusion processing and milling will be explored to program starches for wow stabilisation ensuring microstructure stability for the duration of shelf life & point-of-consumption break down delivery of salt or sugar near the taste receptors. As salivary amylase will be the tastant release trigger, individuals' or consumer groups' amylase levels will be considered in developing this pathway for salt or sugar reduction. We have proof-of-concept data for salt release based on formulating with a commercial OSA starch indicative of the potential success of the proposed technology. The internal water phase has been stabilised with polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) as in most researches despite the limitations for use of PGPR in processed foods. In this research alternative approaches to stabilise the internal water phase, e.g., through a fat crystal network (which is known to be successful), extremely hydrophobic starches or other food particles not requiring chemical modification will be applied.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Diet and Health
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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