New functional vegetable ingredients for new consumer needs

The research presented in this industrial PhD thesis was developed jointly by HI-FOOD S.p.A. and the Department of Food and Drug of the University of Parma. HI-FOOD is a company specialised in the Research and Development and commercialisation of plant based functional ingredients with a technological scope. The core of the project was the study of the technological functionality of two new ingredients developed by HI-FOOD and their application in foods in which a reformulation was necessary to increase their nutritional profile and at the same time to satisfy the consumer request of clean label products. In particular, the two ingredients studied were HI-MODI FLOUR M and MELTEC® and the results obtained are here briefly summarised: HI-MODI FLOUR M A physically modified corn flour obtained through a heating-extrusion process. Through a multilevel and multi-analytical approach, the flour-water interactions of the new designed ingredient were studied, comparing the latter to a heated and a native corn flours ascertaining its higher water affinity. To prove its feasibility at industrial level its technological functionality was positively tested as a clean label thickening agent in three industrial applications: a carrot soup, a tomato sauce and a meat patty. Moreover, the thickening properties of the physically modified corn flour were stress-tested in the production of reduced fat mayonnaises. The physicochemical, rheological and sensorial test, corroborated the ability of the flour to act in substitution of fat as clean label thickening agent, stabilizing the continuous phase of the studied reduced-fat mayonnaise, without affecting its organoleptic properties. MELTEC® A semi-solid fibre syrup based on maize and chickpea. The technological functionality as bulking agent in sugar-reduced products was ascertained in three different food matrices. In short bread cookies was pointed out that its presence permitted to partially preserve the structure of the cookies without jeopardize their processability. And more importantly, it was able to enhance both the nutritional profile and the consumer acceptability of cookies when compared to the ones in which sugar was simply removed. The bulking effect of the semi-solid fibre syrup was also studied in two high-sweet products: a fruit filling and a ripple sauce. In both cases its valuable effect on a technological standpoint to reduce the 30% of sugar was established. Moreover, the obtained products which sugar was reduced by 30% were physiochemically and with rheological properties similar to the full sugar counterpart also during storage, and above all positively accepted by consumers.