Bioactives as ingredients of enriched foods. Does the interaction with the food matrix impact on effectiveness? The PATHWAY-27 project
5th Euro-Global Summit and Expo on Food & Beverages
June 16-18, 2015 Alicante, Spain

Alessandra Bordoni

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Food Process Technol

Abstract:

The scientific understanding of the role and mechanisms of bioactives in human nutrition is fragmented. Research often addresses the theoretical possibility of health improvement effects rather than the real, practical use of bioactives for everyday diets. To full fill consumer demands for foods delivering appropriate health and wellbeing benefits bioactives cannot be considered as discrete chemical compounds, and research must focus on bioactive-enriched foods. The EU funded project PATHWAY-27 (Pivotal assessment of the effects of bioactives on health and wellbeing. From human genoma to food industry) uniquely addresses the role and mechanisms of action of 3 bioactives (docosahexaenoic acid, ?-glucan, and anthocyanins) chosen for known/claimed effectiveness in reducing some risk factors of the metabolic syndrome (MetS), enriching 3 different widely-consumed food matrices (dairy-, bakery-, egg based- products). The critical evaluation of bioactive-food matrix interactions is a key element of PATHWAY-27, as well as the extent of synergies among the 3 selected bioactives. The project is running parallel in vitro/in vivo studies that will enable the selection of robust biomarkers by advanced omics techniques, and will deliver a better understanding of the role and mechanisms of action of the selected bioactives and bioactive-enriched foods. PATHWAY-27 will produce protocols, best practices and guidelines for planning studies on bioactives, and guidance to SMEs for producing health-promoting bioactive-enriched foods and for submitting convincing health claim dossiers to EFSA. Guidelines will be generic and will apply to a wide range of bioactives and bioactive-enriched foods.