InfoGest Consensus Method

This section describes the consensus static digestion method developed within the COST Action InfoGest. Simulated gastro-intestinal digestion is widely employed in many fields of food and nutritional research. Various different digestion models have been proposed, which often impedes the possibility of comparing results across research teams. For example, a large variety of enzymes from different sources such as porcine, rabbit or human have been used and these differ in their activity and characterization. Differences in pH, mineral composition and digestion time that alter enzyme activity and other phenomena may also significantly alter results. Other parameters such as the presence of phospholipids, specific enzymes such as gastric lipase and digestive emulsifiers, etc. have also been discussed at length. In this section, a general standardised and practical static digestion method is given, based on physiologically relevant conditions that can be applied for various endpoints. A framework of parameters for the oral, gastric and small intestinal digestion is outlined and their relevance discussed in relation to available in vivo data and enzymes. Detailed, line-by-line guidance recommendations and justifications are given but also limitations of the proposed model. This harmonised static, in vitro digestion method for food should aid the production of more comparable data in the future.