Scientists have transformed native starches, resembling wheat, corn and cassava, to dietary fibre that may be added to meals to make it more healthy with out altering its texture, color or style.
Researchers at RMIT College labored with Microtec Engineering Group, a technology-based engineering firm that provides starch processing gear, to develop the starch-based product, referred to as FiberX, which resists digestion within the human intestine, similar to fibre.
Not solely is FiberX easy and tasteless, however it’s additionally appropriate for fortifying low-calorie and low-GI meals and will be gluten free, or for including to low-fibre meals resembling white bread, desserts, pasta, pizza and sauces to make them more healthy.
Mission lead from RMIT’s Meals Analysis and Innovation Centre, Affiliate Professor Asgar Farahnaky, and his staff used superior starch modification expertise with accredited meals grade supplies to create what they describe as ‘invisible fibre’.
“We are able to now add additional fibre to meals like white bread and different staples with out altering the style or texture, which has been one of many principal points with many commercially-available fibre dietary supplements up to now,” he mentioned.
“Our product will not be even noticeable as soon as added. It’s similar to a mother or father hiding greens in a toddler’s meal to make it extra nutritious.”
The significance of fibre
Fibre is a kind of carbohydrate that’s not digested within the human intestine and will help enhance the well being and performance of our digestive system. It could actually additionally assist stop weight problems, kind 2 diabetes and reduces the danger elements of some cardiovascular ailments.
Rising the fibre content material of meals merchandise by 10 to twenty% whereas additionally sustaining nice style and texture is a problem throughout the meals business. Present meals with added fibre can have a tricky texture or completely different flavour to the unique product.
As a part of the analysis, Farahnaky’s staff carried out style exams and texture evaluation on bread and desserts with various quantities of added FiberX. They discovered they had been ready so as to add as much as 20% fibre to meals whereas sustaining the unique style and texture of the product.
“This new expertise means we are able to enhance the quantity of fibre that goes into the meals so we are able to obtain our really useful day by day consumption, even whereas consuming much less meals, which has potential to assist with weight administration and diabetes,” he mentioned.
How does it work?
Co-researcher and Vice-Chancellor’s Senior Analysis Fellow, Dr Mahsa Majzoobi, mentioned the construction of starch was modified on a molecular degree and examined to see the way it reacted with digestive enzymes.
“As soon as the resistant starch goes via this course of, it must have excessive ranges of resistance to be counted as a profitable conversion to dietary fibre,” she mentioned.
Utilizing this new expertise, the staff can convert greater than 80% of starch into dietary fibre, Majzoobi mentioned.
FiberX was examined utilizing internationally accredited strategies at RMIT and the accredited Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre.
Farahnaky mentioned his staff are actually trying on the subsequent section of FiberX expertise, which can use inexperienced alternate options to transform starch to fibre.
Lowering meals waste
Farahnaky mentioned past the well being advantages, FiberX expertise additionally had the potential to enhance supply-chain challenges, cut back meals waste and enhance native jobs.
“Australia at the moment exports giant quantities of grain for creating value-added merchandise, resembling plant-based meat. We then should import these merchandise again to Australia and look ahead to them if there are delays within the provide chain, as we noticed with COVID,” Farahnaky mentioned.
“As an alternative of rising and exporting extra grains, we ought to be utilizing present grains to create value-added merchandise right here in Australia.”
To do that, Microtec and RMIT’s Meals Analysis and Innovation Centre have additionally partnered with Battle Meals Waste Cooperative Analysis Centre to cease starch and fibre-rich by-products of plant protein manufacturing from going to waste.
Australia at the moment produces 5,000 tonnes of pulse protein a 12 months, which generates 30,000 tonnes of waste.
Farahnaky mentioned by processing this waste into dry pulse starch, FiberX expertise can convert the starch to fibre on a big scale.
“Not solely will this partnership assist cut back meals waste on a large scale, however it can result in creating new premium meals merchandise which are excessive in dietary fibre,” he mentioned.
Prepared for growth
With the assistance of Microtec, FiberX expertise is now prepared for the meals business to take up and use for large-scale manufacturing of dietary fibre.
“This new expertise will allow the manufacturing of dietary fibre utilizing a cost- and energy-effective course of at a big scale,” Farahnaky mentioned.
“Scaling this expertise will imply the meals business may have entry to giant portions of invisible dietary fibre at an reasonably priced worth to offer high-fibre meals to customers.”
Unique Article: Scientists add ‘invisible fibre’ to meals for a more healthy weight loss program
Extra from: Royal Melbourne Institute of Know-how
