News

A consortium of European SMEs and research institutes have joined forces to develop GENOBOX, a new bioinformatics platform for predicting the functionality of food bacteria and probiotics based on their genome sequence. The platform will allow these companies to determine specific functional benefits in a fast, cheap and reproducible way. The consortium is coordinated by NIZO food research.

NIZO food research has assisted United Dairy Men of Arizona (UDA)  with improving their drying process. Based on NIZO’s models (Premia) to predict product-process interactions and on a joint review of the process by NIZO and UDA,  improved set points could be determined resulting in reduced powder build-up, extended runtimes and thus reduced costs at a higher output.

Satiation by a food can be increased by specific structuring that leads to sedimentation of an energy-dense layer in the stomach. This is the outcome of a study within the Top Institute Food and Nutrition by scientists from NIZO food research and IFR. This effect can be used to help consumers to reduce their caloric intake.

Creaminess or astringency of new foods can be determined by measuring the sound generated by the food interacting with the tongue during consumption. This new technology, developed by NIZO food research, records and analyses the sound of rubbing of the tongue against the food , and can be used to predict the sensory effects of food innovations.

By influencing the juiciness of processed meat products, a salt reduction of 15% or more can be achieved while retaining the same salt perception. Researchers of NIZO, in the frame work of the Top Institute Food and Nutrition, have tested this in sausages that varied in salt level and serum release but not in firmness.

The structure of high-protein foods formed during heat-induced aggregation and gelation can be controlled by the addition of peptides. Depending on the need, both stronger and weaker gels can be made in this way. This is the outcome of research by NIZO scientist Hans Kosters in the framework of Top Institute Food and Nutrition and carried out at the Laboratory of Food Chemistry of Wageningen University.

Will people soon be able to enjoy a nice grass meal, just like cows? NIZO food research in Ede is researching this interesting question.

NIZO food research and InnoSportNL will work together to link the effects of ingredients and foods on the performance, physiology and achievements of athletes. The outcomes will be applied to improved sports nutrition as well as for food(ingredients) for healthy ageing and weight management and clinical foods.

The probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri prevents acute diarrhea in children with lower nutritional status.  This is the outcome of a unique study carried out with almost 500 children from low-socioeconomic communities in Jakarta, Indonesia. This should give a boost to the development of simple, (dairy) foods with the right probiotics.

In the coming years food producer VION Food Group and research company NIZO food research will be collaborating intensively to develop natural protein-based ingredients to replace fats in their products.