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This study characterised the starch and dietary fibre properties and their significance to the pasting characteristics of oat flakes and flours produced from 30 Finnish pure cultivar oats with or without the industrial scale milling process. Large variation in carbohydrate characteristics was observed, the insoluble dietary fibre content of flours was 2.4–5.7 % and soluble dietary fibre was 4.9–8.0 %. The oat milling process induced a significant amount of starch damage (p < 0.05), a fourfold increase from 1 % to 4 % in average was observed. The pasting properties of both flakes and flours were interlinked (p < 0.05) with the chemical composition of oats, i.e., high starch content of flours was connected to higher paste viscosity values. The milling process increased the peak, trough, setback, final and time to peak viscosities of oat flours. These results show the significance of oat milling process, including kilning, to the carbohydrate quality of oats.

Rapeseed press cake was upcycled as a protein-enriched ingredient through dry fractionation. The protein-enriched fraction contained higher amounts of phytic acid compared to press cake, and phytase treatment was applied to decrease the phytic acid content from 6.8 to 0.5%. The effect of phytase treatment leading to the release of cations was also mimicked by extrinsic calcium addition. Both phytase treatment and calcium addition significantly improved the heat-induced gel properties but had a minor effect on protein solubility and dispersion stability at pH 8. Water and protein holding capacities of the gels were the highest for the phytase-treated sample (91 and 97%, respectively), followed by the sample with added calcium (86 and 94%, respectively) and control sample (60 and 86%, respectively). Gel firmness followed the same pattern. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed an interconnected structured network in the phytase-treated gel, while in the control gel, a more rigid and open structure was observed. The improved gelation properties resulting from the phytase treatment suggest that the protein and soluble dietary fibre-enriched rapeseed press cake ingredient serve as a promising raw material for gelled food systems. The positive effect of calcium addition on gel properties proposes that part of the improvement observed after phytase treatment may be caused by cations released from phytate.

Oats is a versatile food ingredient, and its importance is increasing due to the need of shift to plant based diets. In order to facilitate oat-based trade and selection of oat raw materials for various food applications, we have developed machine learning -based quality indicators for oats enabling identification of suitable raw materials already from grains, groats or flours by utilising hyperspectral imaging. Prediction of oat material process behaviour boosts and generates savings in industrial oat supply chain.

Food-grade enzymes (alpha-amylase, amyloglucosidase, maltogenic amylase, and protease) were investigated for recycling waste bread back to wheat bread-making process. Waste bread was efficiently hydrolyzed into sugars (up to 93% glucose yield) and the best combination of enzymes was alpha-amylase (0.05 g/kg bread) and amyloglucosidase (2.5 g/kg bread). Selected enzyme hydrolysis processes were tested in wheat bread making as a (a) hydrolyzed slurry, that is hydrolyzed waste bread without solid/liquid separation and (b) syrup, that is liquid supernatant after centrifugation of the hydrolyzed waste bread. Both hydrolyzed bread slurry and syrup were successfully utilized to replace sucrose (2 and 4%) in bread making without affecting the bread quality when compared to the control bread. Techno-economic assessment revealed that this approach is 12% more economical than the current mean to dispose the bakery waste. This recycling concept showed both technical and economic potential for bakery industries to overcome their excess bread production. Novelty impact statement A new recycling process was developed by using enzymes to efficiently hydrolyze surplus bread into sugars. The use of those sugar-rich slurries and syrups in bread rework did not affect the bread quality when compared to the control bread. The recycling concept was more economical than current means to dispose waste bread, revealing the technical and economic potential for bakery industries to overcome their excess bread production.

Cereal grains are the main dietary source of energy, carbohydrates, and plant proteins world-wide. Currently, only 41% of grains are used for human consumption, and up to 35% are used for animal feed. Cereals have been overlooked as a source of environmentally sustainable and healthy plant proteins and could play a major role in transitioning towards a more sustainable food system for healthy diets. Cereal plant proteins are of good nutritional quality, but lysine is often the limiting amino acid. When consumed as whole grains, cereals provide health-protecting components such as dietary fiber and phytochemicals. Shifting grain use from feed to traditional foods and conceptually new foods and ingredients could improve protein security and alleviate climate change. Rapid development of new grain-based food ingredients and use of grains in new food contexts, such as dairy replacements and meat analogues, could accelerate the transition. This review discusses recent developments and outlines future perspectives for cereal grain use.

The food protein ingredient market is dominated by dairy and egg proteins. Both milk whey and egg proteins are challenging proteins to replace, e.g. with plant proteins, due to the unique structural features of the animal proteins that render them highly functional. Thus, to provide a non-animal source of these important proteins the fungal host Trichoderma reesei was utilized for the biotechnical production of recombinant hen ovalbumin (TrOVA) and bovine beta lactoglobulin (TrBLG). These food proteins were investigated using two different promoter systems to test the concept of effectively expressing them in a fungal host. Both proteins were successfully produced in 24 well plate and bioreactor scale. The production level of TrBLG and TrOVA were 1 g/L and 2 g/L, respectively. Both proteins were further purified and characterized, and their functional properties were tested. TrBLG and TrOVA secondary structures determined by circular dichroism corresponded to the proteins of bovine and hen. The T. reesei produced proteins were found to be N-glycosylated, mostly with Man 5. TrBLG had emulsification properties matching to corresponding bovine protein. TrOVA showed excellent foaming characteristics and heat-induced gelation, although the strength of the gel was somewhat lower than with hen ovalbumin, possibly due to the partial degradation of TrOVA or presence of other host proteins. Biotechnical production of whey and egg proteins using precision fermentation technology offers an innovative way to increase the sustainability of the conventional food industry, without further reliance on animal farming.Industrial relevance: The food protein ingredient market is dominated by dairy (largely whey proteins) and egg proteins. Whey proteins are valuable and versatile food ingredients due to their functional and nutritional quality. They are largely used in meat and milk products, low fat products, bakery, confectionary, infant formulas and sports nutrition. Similarly, egg white protein ovalbumin is a highly functional protein ingredient that facilitates structure formation and high nutritional quality in most food products. Together they comprise 40 - 70% of the revenue in the animal protein ingredients market. Both whey and egg proteins are extremely challenging proteins to replace, e.g., by plant proteins due to their unique structural features that render them with high functionality. Biotechnical production of whey and egg proteins using precision fermentation technology offers an innovative way to increase the sustainability of the conventional food industry, without further reliance on animal farming.

Extrudates made of 30 different wholegrain oat flour samples with diverse chemical composition were prepared using a twin-screw extruder (screw speed 400 rotations per minute, temperature profile 140-130-90-85 °C (die to feed), flour feed rate was 60 g/min and total moisture content 15%). Each wholegrain oat flour was mixed with 30% rice flour (dry basis) and extruded under constant temperature, screw speed, water and feed rates. Generic descriptive sensory analysis was performed for 10 selected samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares regression (PLS) models were used to assess interactions between the sensory and instrumental data. Degree of extrudate expansion varied between 143 and 305%, while density varied between 198 and 785 kg/m3. Hardness of samples were between 44 and 150 N. As expected, starch content was positively, and fat content negatively correlated with degree of expansion. Musty aroma and the perceived hardness correlated with fat content in the PLS model, while the perceived crispiness correlated with expansion. Quality indicators such as thousand seed weight (TSW), and peak viscosity showed significant correlation with expansion in both instrumental and sensory tests; therefore, they can be utilized as quick predictive measurements to assess the quality of wholegrain oat based extrudates.

This study aimed to understand the powder properties of ingredients (whey and potato protein isolates, fine and coarse non-digestible maltodextrin, instant waxy maize and potato starches) that allow point of consumption machine-production of protein and fibre fortified products of varying consistency. Common characteristics of ingredients suitable for instant food preparation and use included free powder flow (avalanche angles of 42.2–46.4°), large particle size with narrow size distribution (d50 = 177–309 μm), high porosity and rapid de-agglomeration into primary particles in contact with water. Instant production of liquid (

Ovalbumin (OVA) produced using the fungus Trichoderma reesei (Tr-OVA) could become a sustainable replacement for chicken egg white protein powder—a widely used ingredient in the food industry. Although the approach can generate OVA at pilot scale, the environmental impacts of industrial-scale production have not been explored. Here, we conducted an anticipatory life cycle assessment using data from a pilot study to compare the impacts of Tr-OVA production with an equivalent functional unit of dried chicken egg white protein produced in Finland, Germany and Poland. Tr-OVA production reduced most agriculture-associated impacts, such as global warming and land use. Increased impacts were mostly related to industrial inputs, such as electricity production, but were also associated with glucose consumption. Switching to low-carbon energy sources could further reduce environmental impact, demonstrating the potential benefits of cellular agriculture over livestock agriculture for OVA production.

Intake of Fermentable Oligo,- Di,- Monosaccharides, And Polyols, abbreviated as FODMAP, is known to worsen gastrointestinal symptoms in people with functional bowel disorders. Legume-based foods are climate-friendly and healthy alternatives to meat, but also high in fermentable oligosaccharides, galactooligosaccharides in particular. In this study, we have screened commercial and produced, new α-galactosidases for hydrolysis of galactooligosaccharides in pea and faba bean based materials. Commercial DS30 and recombinantly produced Neosartorya fisherii α-galactosidase were further applied to enzymatic removal of galactooligosaccharides from leguminous ingredients as well as moist (spoonable), semi-moist (wet-extrudate) and dry (crackers) food prototypes. Galactooligosaccharide levels were reduced by both enzymes by over 90% during production of a pea protein-based spoonable product and formulations prepared for extrusion cooking. Extrusion cooking increased the analyzable galactooligosaccharide content to some extent, presumably because heating and shearing released more galactooligosaccharides from the material. Cracker dough galactooligosaccharide concentration was decreased less during α-galactosidase treatment, most likely because of the slightly alkaline pH of the material, which was not optimal for α-galactosidase action.

Rice bran is an underutilized side-stream from white rice production, rich in protein and dietary fibre. The aim of the work was to study dry fractionation as a novel approach to enrich protein from non-heated, supercritical carbon dioxide–extracted milled rice bran. One-step air classification allowed protein enrichment from an original 18.5% up to 25.7% in the fine fraction. Alternatively, air classification of the non-milled raw material resulted in a fine fraction (19.7% protein) that was according to microscopy analysis free of pericarp structures, and a coarse fraction containing protein-rich aleurone and germ particles and pericarp structures. Further milling and air classification of the coarse fraction resulted in higher protein enrichment (to 27.4%). All the fine fractions produced by dry fractionation were also enriched in soluble dietary fibre whereas starch content was decreased. Additionally, the fine fractions showed improved protein solubility and colloidal stability and, thus, elevated applicability in food products as compared to the non-fractionated raw material.

This work studied the impact of bioprocessing with lactic acid bacteria starter cultures (dextran producing Weissella confusa and Lactobacillus plantarum) and proteolytic and xylanolytic enzymes on structural, chemical and sensory characteristics of wholegrain wheat crackers. Bioprocessing of flour increased free amino acids content (FAA) and water extractable arabinoxylans (WEAX). W. confusa fermentation increased FAA the most (0.46–0.48 g/100 g) compared to the control (0.22 g/100 g). Treatment with xylanase and fungal protease showed highest WEAX (2.29 g/100 g vs. 0.90 g/100 g). This cracker was also the thickest. Fermentation with W. confusa without dextran production decreased thickness, while dextran containing W. confusa samples were similar to the control. Cracker thickness and flour RVA-viscosities showed negative correlation. Non-dextran W. confusa increased final viscosity (1807 cP) and setback viscosity (1200 cP) compared to control flour (1318 cP and 885.5 cP). Both enzyme-types reduced viscosities: e.g. lowest final viscosity was 729.5 cP after protease treatment. Microscopy indicated enhanced gluten network especially after xylanase treatment. Enzyme-treated crackers had neutral flavor and soft structure, as well as increased tendency to break down in the mouth. Fermented crackers were hard and had pungent flavour. Acidification appeared to negate the possible positive impact of dextran on cracker quality.

This study investigated the effect of pH on fibrous structure formation (protein alignment) during high-moisture extrusion processing of gluten, rice protein, as well as pea protein concentrate, and isolate. The pH of the raw material was shifted to 5 and 7 in water suspension with an acid or base and freeze-dried, after which, conductivity, solubility, water-holding capacity, particle size, and pH were measured. The pH-shifted raw materials were extruded at various temperatures (95–160 °C) and the extrudates were analysed for protein alignment (macro and microstructure), tensile strength, free thiol groups, and cooking properties. In general, all raw materials generated fibrous structure at lower temperatures (115–140 °C) at pH 7 than at pH 5 (135–160 °C). Higher pH and temperature values led to an increased tensile strength and pronounced protein alignment. No such unambiguous link could be observed between the raw material properties and enhanced structure formation. This study showed that the structure formation of the extrudate can be positively influenced by increasing the pH of the raw material, which facilitates the plant protein structuring into appealing meat analogue products.

The production of edible microbial biomass in bioreactors is an attractive alternative to agriculture, which is a major consumer of fresh water, an emitter of greenhouse gases, and a cause of eutrophication. This study examines microbial food production by gas fermentation of two endotoxin-free Gram-positive H2-oxidizing autotrophic bacterial strains, Nocardioides nitrophenolicus KGS-27 and Rhodococcus opacus DSM 43205. The supply of the gaseous substrates H2 and O2 by in situ water electrolysis was investigated as an alternative to providing them from an external source. N. nitrophenolicus KGS-27 produced ≤9.9 ±2.0 mg of biomass L−1 h−1 and was not affected by in situ water electrolysis, which potentially produces growth-inhibiting reactive oxygen species. With R. opacus DSM 43205, in turn, electrolysis slowed growth considerably and resulted in a volumetric productivity of 2.6 ± 0.8 mg of biomass L−1 h−1, which was a quarter of what was obtained with the gases supplied externally. The macromolecular compositions of biomasses produced by the two cultivation modes using the two bacterial strains were rather similar containing approximately 33−37% protein, 28−56% carbohydrates, and 4−5% fatty acids of the cell dry weight. Relatively high protein concentrations and balanced amino acid profiles, comparable to those of casein and soy protein, were achieved with both strains.

Scope: Dietary fiber (DF) induces changes in gut microbiota function and thus modulates the gut environment. How this modulation is associated with metabolic pathways related to the gut is largely unclear. This study aims to investigate differences in metabolites produced by the gut microbiota and their interactions with host metabolism in response to supplementation with two bran fibers. Methods and Results: Male C57BL/6N mice are fed a western diet (WD) for 17 weeks. Two groups of mice received a diet enriched with 10% w/w of either oat or rye bran, with each bran containing 50% DF. Microbial metabolites are assessed by measuring cecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), ileal and fecal bile acids (BAs), and the expression of genes related to tryptophan (TRP) metabolism. Both brans lowered body weight gain and ameliorated WD-induced impaired glucose responses, hepatic inflammation, liver enzymes, and gut integrity markers associated with SCFA production, altered BA metabolism, and TRP diversion from the serotonin synthesis pathway to microbial indole production. Conclusions: Both brans develop a favorable environment in the gut by altering the composition of microbes and modulating produced metabolites. Changes induced in the gut environment by a fiber-enriched diet may explain the amelioration of metabolic disturbances related to WD.

The target of this work was to develop a novel, industrially applicable process for simultaneously releasing different valuable components from wheat bran, including carbohydrates, oligomeric arabinoxylan and antioxidants. The process was based on alkaline pretreatment with potassium hydroxide (KOH) and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis. Increasing KOH-dosage and thermal severity in pretreatment promoted carbohydrate solubilisation in hydrolysis, reaching glucose and arabinoxylan yields up to 86% and 76%, respectively. Release of antioxidants was particularly promoted by increasing KOH-dosage, while both the pretreatment severity and KOH-dosage promoted the release of oligomeric arabinoxylan in enzymatic hydrolysis. Two bran syrups, with or without KOH-treatment, were tested in bread making by substituting added sugar in the dough with bran syrup. The KOH-derived KCl also substituted 30% of NaCl in the bread formulation. The addition of bran syrup did not affect the baking properties of wheat bread dough. However, a decrease in bread flavour balance was observed with addition of syrup from KOH-pretreated bran. Conceptual level techno-economic assessment indicated that production of bran syrup would be economically feasible at a minimum selling price of 770 €/t and 1030 €/t with KOH-pretreatment and without KOH, respectively.

The effect of phytase treatment on the technological functionality of a protein-enriched rice bran fraction produced by air classification was studied. Protein solubility and surface hydrophobicity were analysed and heat-induced gels formed at pH 5, 6.7 and 8 were characterised using rheological measurements, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and by measuring water retention capacity. Phytase treatment decreased phytic acid content from 22% to 1–3%, depending on the dispersion dry matter content, which led to improved protein solubility at acidic pH 2–4. Similarly, phytase treatment increased protein surface hydrophobicity; however, the difference between phytase-treated and control sample was diminished after heat treatment. During heat-induced gelation the non-phytase-treated fraction formed viscoelastic structures at pH 6.7 and 8 with final Gʹ over 1000 Pa, while only weak gels were obtained at pH 5 (Gʹ ~100 Pa). Phytase treatment improved gelling ability of the fraction at pH 8 reaching significantly higher final Gʹ (11 340 Pa) and water holding capacity (77.8%) compared to the non-phytase-treated gel (1140 Pa and 54.6%, respectively). At pH 5 and 6.7 gel characteristics were not affected by phytase treatment. CLSM revealed a more evenly distributed protein and fibre network for phytase-treated protein-enriched rice bran gels formed at pH 8 compared to the other gels, which consisted of more void areas and densely packed protein aggregates. The results emphasise the advantage of using a phytase-treated protein-fibre ingredient from rice bran in gelled products both for techno-functional and nutritional quality improvement.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the role of β-glucan molecular weight (Mw) and the presence of other carbohydrates on the physiological functionality of oat bran via an in vitro digestion study. A complete approach using three different in vitro digestion models (viscosity of the small intestine digest, reduction of bile acids and on-line measurement of gas evolution) was used to predict the physiological functionality of enzymatically modified oat bran concentrate (OBC). OBC was enzymatically treated with two β-glucanase preparations at three different levels in order to specifically decrease β-glucan Mw (Pure: purified β-glucanase) or β-glucan and other cell wall polysaccharides (Mix: commercial food-grade cell wall degrading enzyme preparation). The Mw of β-glucan in OBC was tailored to high (1000 kDa), medium (200-500 kDa) and low (

While the development of oat products often requires altered molecular weight (MW) of β-glucan, the resulting health implications are currently unclear. This 3-leg crossover trial (n = 14) investigated the effects of the consumption of oat bran with High, Medium and Low MW β-glucan (average > 1000, 524 and 82 kDa respectively) with 3 consequent meals on oat-derived phenolic compounds in urine (UHPLC-MS/MS), bile acids in feces (UHPLC-QTOF), gastrointestinal conditions (ingestible capsule), and perceived gut well-being. Urine excretion of ferulic acid was higher (p < 0.001, p < 0.001), and the fecal excretion of deoxycholic (p < 0.03, p < 0.02) and chenodeoxycholic (p < 0.06, p < 0.02) acids lower after consumption of Low MW β-glucan compared with both Medium and High MW β-glucan. Duodenal pressure was higher after consumption of High MW β-glucan compared to Medium (p < 0.041) and Low (p < 0.022) MW β-glucan. The MW of β-glucan did not affect gut well-being, but the perceptions between females and males differed.

Dry milling and air classification were applied to produce three different ingredients from wheat and rye brans. Dried and pin disc-milled brans having particle size medians of 89-131 µm were air classified to produce protein- and soluble dietary fibre-enriched hybrid ingredients (median particle size 7-9 µm) and additionally brans were ultra-finely milled (median particle size 17-19 µm). The samples were characterised in regard to their composition and techno-functional properties. In air classification, protein content increased from 16.4 and 14.7% to 30.9 and 30.7% for wheat and rye brans, which corresponded to protein separation efficiencies of 18.0 and 26.9%, respectively. Concurrently, the ratio between soluble and insoluble dietary fibre increased from 0.22 to 0.85 for wheat and from 0.56 to 1.75 for rye bran. The protein- and soluble dietary fibre-enriched wheat bran fraction showed improved protein solubility at alkaline pH when compared to pin disc- and ultra-finely-milled wheat bran, whereas less difference between the wheat ingredients was observed at native and acidic pH. The protein- and soluble dietary fibre-enriched rye bran fraction exhibited lower solubility than the pin disc- or ultra-finely-milled rye brans at all the studied pH-values. Ultra-fine milling alone decreased protein solubility and increased damaged starch content when compared to the pin disc-milled brans. Both protein enrichment and ultra-fine milling improved colloidal stability in comparison to the pin disc-milled raw materials. The lowest water and oil binding capacities were obtained for the protein-enriched fractions. Ultrasound-assisted emulsification of the protein- and soluble dietary fibre-enriched fractions and the ultra-finely-milled brans revealed no major differences in the visual quality or stability of the emulsions. The results suggest that modification of the techno-functional properties of cereal brans may be acquired via both air classification and ultra-fine milling.

High insoluble dietary fibre content causes challenges with structure and texture in extrusion. This paper focused on studying the structure of extrudate enriched with rye bran modified in different ways. Fermentation of rye bran with dextran-producing Weissella confusa (with 10 g/100 g, 5 g/100 g and 0 g/100 g added sucrose as substrate for dextran production), in situ enzymatic production of dextran in the bran and chemical acidification of bran with lactic acid were compared in extrusion trials. Endosperm rye flour was the base in extrusion, of which 32 g/100 g was substituted for rye bran. Fermentation with dextran production showed similar improvement in extrudate expansion as chemically acidified bran samples (489 and 493%), in comparison with native bran (420%). Similarly, these treatments decreased extrudate hardness and increased crispiness index (CI) (16 N, 0.06 and 14 N, 0.071 respectively) compared to the control (39 N, 0.008). Enzymatically produced dextran did not affect expansion, although it decreased hardness (26 N) and increased CI compared to the control (0.023). Chemical changes in the fermented and acidified rye bran included reduction in insoluble dietary fibre (DF) (19 g/100 g → 17 g/100 g) and increase in soluble DF (5.17 g/100 g → 5.51-7.19 g/100 g), as well as soluble protein (8 g/100 g → 11 g/100 g) content. Lactic acid bacteria fermentation or acidification is therefore a promising method to increase the functionality of rye bran in extrusion.

The physicochemical properties of wheat bran have an effect on its technofunctional and nutritional profile. The possibility to induce physicochemical modifications in wheat bran using microfluidisation was investigated. An I-optimal experimental design was used to investigate the effect of microfluidisation processing parameters (pressure, number of passes, bran concentration and initial particle size) on important properties of wheat bran (particle size, microstructure, chemical composition, water retention capacity (WRC), extractability, viscosity and sedimentation). With the parameters used in this study, microfluidisation reduced wheat bran median particle size to 14.8 μm and disintegrated starch granules from the attached endosperm. This coincided with an increased extractability of starch and arabinoxylan. While the initial particle size was of minor importance, a higher pressure, larger number of passes and lower bran concentration during microfluidisation resulted in a smaller particle size, higher WRC and extractability, and an increased viscosity and stability in a 2% wheat bran suspension.

Oat protein concentrate (OPC) was treated with transglutaminase (TG) and a combination of transglutaminase and protein-glutaminase (TG + PG), with or without preheating (95 °C, 15 min). The characteristics of the modified OPC were examined and further studied in high-moisture extrusion processing (HMEP). SDS-PAGE analysis showed that both enzyme preparations induced cross-linking between the OPC proteins and that the preheating step enhanced it. TG + PG treatments increased protein solubility and decreased the average particle size of OPC. TG treatment also decreased the particle size but had an insignificant effect on protein solubility. TG + PG 5 U treatment with preheating showed the highest RVA viscosity of 1076 mPa s. When OPC samples were studied during extrusion processing, enzyme treatments were found to affect the extrudate properties. The same OPC sample that showed the highest viscosity value, i.e. preheated TG + PG 5 U, showed also the most optimal fibrous structure formation and the strongest structure according to tensile strength results.

In legumes such as faba bean, phytic acid can form very stable complexes with proteins, thus hindering their accessibility for gastrointestinal digestion. This study was set up to investigate the influence of enzymatic phytase treatment and lactic acid bacteria fermentation (Lactobacillus plantarum VTT E-78076) on phytic acid reduction as well as on the protein quality and digestibility of faba bean flour. The soluble protein and release of free amino acids from faba bean flours were followed during a simulated in vitro digestion process. Phytase treatment efficiently reduced the amount of phytic acid in faba bean flour up to 89% degradation. The reduction of phytic acid content caused a shift in the protein solubility curve, showing higher solubility levels at low pH. Further, the enzyme-aided degradation of phytic acid considerably enhanced the digestibility of faba bean proteins (dose-dependent) and the release of free amino nitrogen in the first stage of digestion (gastric phase). The results propose the benefits of phytase treatment in plant-based foods where the phytic acid content may hinder the digestion of protein.

Background: High whole grain intake has consistently been associated with lowered risk of developing a number of chronic diseases. Among cereals, rye has highest content of dietary fiber, together with a wide variety of bioactive compounds. There is accumulating evidence from intervention studies of physiological effects of rye foods with potential health benefits. Scope and approach: This review summarizes the state of the art of rye and health and identifies future directions for research and innovation, based partly on findings presented at the international conference "The Power of Rye", angstrom land, Finland, 7-8 June 2017. Key findings and conclusions: Rye foods have well-established beneficial effects on insulin metabolism compared with wheat bread under isocaloric conditions and at standardized amounts of available carbohydrates, which may have positive implications for diabetes prevention. Recent findings suggest that alterations in blood glucose flux partly explain these effects. Moreover, several studies have shown beneficial effects of rye-based foods on satiety, which is one plausible mechanism behind recently demonstrated beneficial effects on weight management. Emerging results indicate beneficial effects of rye intake on inflammation and blood lipids. More research is needed to uncover underlying mechanisms for other demonstrated effects and the long-term implications for health. A challenge with rye-based foods is making them palatable and widely acceptable to consumers. Development of innovative and tasty rye products and targeted communication strategies is crucial in increasing awareness and consumption of rye foods. Novel results in this regard are presented in this review.

There is controversy about the role of viscosity and co-migrating molecules on the bile acid binding of betaglucan. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the impact of 8-glucan molecular weight and the content of both 8-glucan and phytate on the mobility of bile acids by modelling intestinal conditions in vitro. Two approaches were used to evaluate factors underlying this binding effect. The first studied bile acid binding capacity of soluble 8-glucan using purified compounds. Viscosity of the 8-glucan solution governed mainly the mobility of bile acid since both a decrease in 8-glucan concentration and degradation of 8-glucan by enzyme hydrolysis resulted in decreased binding. The second approach investigated the trapping of bile acids in the oat bran matrix. Results suggested trapping of bile acids by the 8-glucan gel network. Additionally, hydrolysis of phytate was shown to increase bile acid binding, probably due to better extractability of 8-glucan in this sample.

Oat and faba bean protein isolates were treated with transglutaminase from Streptomyces mobaraensis and tyrosinase from Trichoderma reesei to modify the colloidal properties of protein particles in order to improve their colloidal stability and foaming properties. Transglutaminase crosslinked faba bean protein extensively already with 10 nkat/g enzyme dosage. Oat protein was crosslinked to some extent with transglutaminase with higher dosages (100 and 1000 nkat/g). Transglutaminase increased the absolute zeta-potential values and reduced the particle size of oat protein particles. As a result, the colloidal stability and foaming properties were improved. Tyrosinase had limited crosslinking ability on both plant protein materials. Tyrosinase greatly reduced the solubility of oat protein despite limited crosslinking. Tyrosinase did not have effect on zeta-potential or colloidal stability of either protein, but it impaired foaming properties of both. Thus, the crosslinking enzymes studied caused significantly different end product functionality, presumably due to the different mechanism of action.

Insects represent a sustainable but under-exploited food resource partly due to the chitin-containing exoskeleton and also the high lipid content that hamper the production of food ingredients. Here we present dry fractionation technology for upgrading house crickets (Acheta domesticus) and yellow mealworm larvae (Tenebrio molitor) by extraction with supercritical carbon dioxide followed by separation to fine and coarse fractions by air classification. The defatted insects contained 73-79% crude protein that was partially fractionated by air classification to protein-enriched fractions containing less chitin. In addition to the significant difference in the coarse mouthfeel between the fine and coarse fractions, the fine fraction of crickets was perceived saltier and more intense in flavour, and the fine fraction of mealworms having more meat-like flavour than the coarse fraction. Thus, it seems that the fractionation process has a clear impact on the texture (coarseness), but the flavour characteristics could be varied according to the insect variety. Overall, the dry fractionation technology holds promising prospects for the production of insect-based food ingredients that are modified in their chitin content and flavour intensity, does not contain identifiable anatomical parts, and thus, could better meet consumer acceptance.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate a healthy snacking and on-the-go eating concept, “Healthy Snack Machine” (HSM) that produces freshly made food and enables customization of the product at site of purchase and consumption. Design/methodology/approach The study applied qualitative and quantitative consumer research methods and used iterative co-creation approach, meaning that the HSM concept was developed by consumer input during different phases. Specifically, the research included three qualitative methods, web platform discussion (n=109), a HSM mock-up study (n=30) and testing a prototype of the HSM user interface (n=50), as well as a quantitative study (n=215). Findings Generally, the consumers evaluated the HMS concept positively. The results indicated that the time of the day, personal goals and preferences affected food choice and product customization in HSM. Consumers preferred HSM products that were healthy, satiating and suitable for on-the-go eating. They also felt that HSM would save time, and that the possibility to customize the food gives them additional value. The results also pointed out the importance of privacy and security issues in the HSM concept. Practical implications The results indicated that consumers are in favor of a new delivery concept that can help them to consume healthy food and enable customization of the product. This encourages to proof the findings in consumer tests with a real food-producing prototype machine. Originality/value The work gives original insight on consumer preferences for healthy snacking and snack customization enabled by digital technologies and consecutive co-creation methodologies.

The development of prebiotic fibers requires fast high-throughput screening of their effects on the gut microbiota. We demonstrated the applicability of a mictotiter plate in the in vitro fermentation models for the screening of potentially-prebiotic dietary fibers. The effects of seven rye bran-, oat- and linseed-derived fiber preparations on the human fecal microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acid production were studied. The model was also used to study whether fibers can alleviate the harmful effects of amoxicillin-clavulanate on the microbiota. The antibiotic induced a shift in the bacterial community in the absence of fibers by decreasing the relative amounts of Bifidobacteriaceae, Bacteroidaceae, Prevotellaceae, Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae, and increasing proteobacterial Sutterilaceae levels from 1% to 11% of the total microbiota. The fermentation of rye bran, enzymatically treated rye bran, its insoluble fraction, soluble oat fiber and a mixture of rye fiber:soluble oat fiber:linseed resulted in a significant increase in butyrate production and a bifidogenic effect in the absence of the antibiotic. These fibers were also able to counteract the negative effects of the antibiotic and prevent the decrease in the relative amount of bifidobacteria. Insoluble and soluble rye bran fractions and soluble oat fiber were the best for controlling the level of proteobacteria at the level below 2%.

The effect of three combinations of bioprocessing methods by lactic acid fermentation, cell wall hydrolyzing enzymes and phytase on the biochemical (protein, fat, carbohydrate composition) and technofunctional properties (protein solubility, emulsifying and foaming properties) of wheat bran protein isolates were evaluated. The bioprocessing increased the protein (up to 80%) and fat content (up to 22.8%) in the isolates due to the degradation of starch and soluble pentosans. Additional proteins, globulin 3A and 3C, chitinase, beta-amylase and LMW glutenins, were identified from the electrophoretic pattern of the protein isolate bioprocessed with added enzymes. Generally, the bioprocessed protein isolate had lower protein solubility and stronger net charge in pH below 7, when compared to the protein isolate made without bioprocessing. The emulsifying properties of the protein isolates were not affected by bioprocessing. However, the foaming stability of the protein isolates was nearly doubled by bioprocessing with cell wall hydrolyzing enzymes and phytase.

Limited hydrolysis of rice endosperm protein isolate was carried out with acid and neutral endoproteases to evaluate the relationship between degree of hydrolysis and techno-functional properties. The highest studied degree of hydrolysis was 5.4% corresponding to 55.2% protein solubility. Solubility increased as a function of degree of hydrolysis with higher efficiency by acid endoprotease. Colloidal stability of the protein suspensions steadily increased with increasing degree of hydrolysis. Higher colloidal stability values were achieved by neutral endoprotease (31–89%) compared to that by acid endoprotease (20–75%). On the other hand, the absolute values of zeta potential and surface hydrophobicity decreased as a function of degree of hydrolysis leading to higher values by neutral endoprotease (−21.4 mV and 21.7 mV) than by acid endoprotease (−813.4 mV and 11.7 mV). Foaming, gel formation and water holding properties improved only until degree of hydrolysis values of 1.5% (neural endoprotease) and 1.9% (acid endoprotease).

The effects of heat treatment (90 °C, 5 or 30 min) and enzymatic crosslinking with transglutaminase (TG, 10, 100 or 1000 nkat/g protein) on emulsifying and gelling properties of faba bean protein isolate (FPI) were studied. Heat treatment of FPI caused a clear shift in far-UV CD spectra towards random coil structure and an increase in surface hydrophobicity from 181 to 504 RFU. TG crosslinked heat-treated FPI more efficiently as compared to native FPI. TG-induced crosslinking caused a reduction of surface hydrophobicity from 504 to 435 RFU. Emulsifying activity and stability indexes of FPI stabilized emulsions ranged between 25 and 30 m2/g and 18–35 min, respectively. Rheological properties of the FPI gels induced by heating, followed by acidification or TG treatment (10 or 100 nkat/g protein) were analyzed. FPI showed gel-like characteristics at 10% concentration (G′ = 180 Pa). When the heat-treated FPI dispersion was further acidified or TG-treated (100 nkat/g), G′ values of >6500 and > 3500 Pa were achieved, respectively. Water holding capacity of the FPI gels were >93% and >98% for acid- and TG-induced gels, respectively. The gel microstructures showed mainly heterogeneously-sized protein aggregates, however, no differences were observed between acid- and TG-induced gels.

Rye bran is a rich source of phytochemicals, such as alkylresorcinols, benzoxazinoids, and phenolic acids, which likely are attributing to the positive health effects of whole-grain foods. In this study, we examined the effect of two types of bioprocessing of rye bran on the phytochemical profile as compared with non-processed rye bran, using a non-targeted LC–MS metabolomics method. The four breads included in the study were commercial sourdough rye bread baked with 100% rye flour, a white wheat bread, a white wheat bread fortified with native rye bran, and a white wheat bread fortified with bioprocessed rye bran. The changes induced by the combination of enzymatic processing and yeast fermentation in the phytochemical pool were dissimilar to sourdough fermentation. Notably, the amount of free phenolic acids in bran was significantly increased, some of the hexose moieties were released from benzoxazinoids, and alkylresorcinols experienced moderate degradation. The enzymatic bioprocessing increased the bioaccessibility of several phytochemicals, thus making breads fortified with bioprocessed rye bran attractive targets of functional food development.

Growing global populations and limited resources require more sustainable use of food crops. Lifestyle-related health problems, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, are also an increasing problem in many parts of the world. Major agricultural side-streams, such as cereal bran, oil-press residues and pomace, are currently used predominantly for feed and fuel. However, they have the potential to be sustainable sources of healthy proteins, fibers, and bioactive compounds for human consumption if challenges related to flavor and texture are overcome. Novel processing methods are needed to create healthy and palatable ingredients from agricultural side-streams. From economic and sustainability perspectives, these methods must be energy and water efficient. Dry-milling and dry-fractionation are energy-lean methods that can be used to produce value-added hybrid ingredients from side-streams. These ingredients may be processed further using bioprocessing, thermome-chanical processing, or other methods to improve their applicability in food products.

In this study, the applicability of extrusion-based 3D printing technology for food pastes made of protein, starch and fiber-rich materials was assessed, as a starting point in the development of healthy, customized snack products. The printability of starch-, cellulose nanofiber-, milk powder-, oat- and faba bean protein-based materials and their mixtures was evaluated by examining the ease and uniformity of extrusion as well as the precision and stability of the printed pattern. The best printing precision and shape stability was obtained with a semi-skimmed milk powder-based paste. Rheological measurements revealed that the shape stability after printing was linked with the yield stress of the paste. Post-processing by oven drying was most successful at high initial solids contents (

Plant cell cultures from cloudberry, lingonberry and stoneberry were studied in terms of their nutritional properties as food. Carbohydrate, lipid and protein composition, in vitro protein digestibility and sensory properties were investigated. Dietary fibre content varied between 21.2 and 36.7%, starch content between 0.3 and 1.3% and free sugar content between 17.6 and 33.6%. Glucose and fructose were the most abundant sugars. High protein contents between 13.7 and 18.9% were recorded and all samples had a balanced amino acid profile. In vitro protein digestion assay showed hydrolysis by digestive enzymes in fresh cells but only limited hydrolysis in freeze-dried samples. The lipid analysis indicated that the berry cells were rich sources of essential, polyunsaturated fatty acids. In sensory evaluation, all fresh berry cells showed fresh odour and flavour. Fresh cell cultures displayed a rather sandy, coarse mouthfeel, whereas freeze-dried cells melted quickly in the mouth. All in all the potential of plant cells as food was confirmed.

The aims were to assess how particle size reduction and carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzyme treatment influence protein recovery from rapeseed cold-pressed cake and to determine the effect of these pretreatments in protein extraction procedures varying in ionic strength, pH, and total solid content. Defatted press cake (median particle size 600 μm) was milled to 21–164 μm and 7 μm median particle sizes by pin disc milling and air-flow milling, respectively. The milled press cake samples were treated with a carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzyme preparation, after which proteins were extracted in saline (pH 6) or alkaline (pH 12) buffer at 5 % solid content, or in water at 20 % solid content. Particle size reduction of the press cake did not influence enzyme action or protein yield, suggesting that protein release from the press cake is not physically limited by cell walls or internal cell structures. As an exception, protein release from the aleuronic cells appeared to be hindered by intact cell walls. Enzyme treatment improved protein recovery, more substantially when the extraction was carried out in water at 20 % solid content than in saline or alkaline conditions at 5 % solid content. The enzyme mediated its positive effect most probably by reducing the water holding capacity of the press cake, thereby facilitating solid-liquid separation, and releasing anionic compounds which improved protein solubility through electrostatic stabilization. The results suggest that carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes are beneficial for rapeseed protein extraction at reduced water content or when no salt or alkali is added to increase protein solubility.