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NOFIMA-FFL-NOFIMAS STRATEGISKE PROGRAMMER-FFL

Innovation, consumer understanding and food processing knowledge for increased sustainability and health

Alternative title: Innovation, consumer understanding and food processing knowledge for increased sustainability and health

Awarded: NOK 86.8 mill.

WP1 Sustainable Food Innovation: Our research focuses on sustainable food innovation in Norwegian companies, large and small, aiming to bridge the gap between research and industry. We analyzed the integration of sustainability practices in established Norwegian food companies, finding a growing alignment between sustainability and innovation strategies. This alignment fosters enhanced collaboration and new business models, supported by product, process, and organizational innovations. Developing new skills is essential for improving innovation capabilities related to sustainability. We emphasize understanding the entrepreneurial orientation and innovation capabilities of small local food producers. Their ability to learn from participation in food competitions and explore new market niches is crucial. Our ultimate goal is to facilitate the transition to sustainable innovations in established companies while promoting innovative initiatives for small and medium-sized food producers. The COVID-19 crisis served as an opportunity for innovation within the Future Food network, strengthening collaboration and generating concrete project ideas to enhance competitiveness and value creation. We explored sustainable business models and value chain structures in the bioeconomy and plant-based food companies. Knowledge transfer was a focus, examining how research results can be made more accessible to the food industry. We developed methods to facilitate innovation, assisting food producers in creating consumer-focused products. Design-led innovation, workshops, and visualization tools played a vital role in translating research into commercially valuable outcomes. Our emphasis on developing prototypes supports interdisciplinary collaboration, as prototypes enhance understanding and communication across disciplines. WP2 Sensory and Consumer Science: In the realm of healthy diets, our research explores the relationship between taste sensitivity, oral microbiota, and preferences, aiming to understand the potential link to overeating and unhealthy habits. Taste sensitivity in children and adolescents significantly influences their food choices. Using various instruments and model samples (liquid and solid food), we assessed tactile sensitivity. Our work on the Facial Scanner software (Food Behavior module) aims to understand chewing and swallowing patterns in relation to food texture and intake. Industry can use this knowledge to formulate food with specific textures, reducing overeating. We study sensory barriers (taste and texture) to healthier diets, intending to increase plant-based food consumption and utilize whole animals sustainably, including by-products, in innovative food products. Positive experiences with plant-based school meals influence students' attitudes, and we support consumers in reducing household food waste through intervention studies with young consumers. Our research emphasizes food experiences and preferences for specific consumer groups, promoting methodological aspects of sensory and consumer research and related statistical methods (sensometrics). For older adults, we examine how changed life situations affect food choices, behavior, and attitudes. Co-creation methods with young people, both in workshops and an online platform, generate ideas for new products, evaluated by industrial stakeholders to understand the added value of co-creative approaches for the Norwegian food industry. WP3 Food Technology: Our studies focus on textured proteins from peas and fava beans, enhancing their nutritional value and quality for meat substitutes like sausages and hamburgers. Improving protein digestibility is crucial for enhancing the nutritional value of plant proteins, dependent on texture. Work continues on Norwegian-grown vegetables as functional ingredients in vegetarian and meat products, incorporating various pre-treatment techniques. We explore baking agents, alternative sweeteners, and seaweed ingredients in food products. Mechanical tenderization and protein hydrolysates improve tenderness and digestibility. Bread containing guar galactomannan dampens postprandial insulin response, and alternatives to sucrose are tested in lingonberry products to reduce glycemic load. Some semi-refined ingredients from seaweed are suitable in gluten-free bread, and refined alginate eliminates seaweed taste. Promising results with beef and pork lungs in sausages have been pursued, showing reduced cooking loss, improved juiciness, and redness using 10% lung, without affecting consumer preference.

The project FoodForFuture aims to contribute to research-driven innovation in the Norwegian food industry in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals through understanding innovation processes, consumers, and product and process interactions. WP1 “Innovation” will focus on generating a deeper understanding of the Norwegian food industry from an innovation system perspective and how adaptation to new demands and capabilities can be a driver of innovation for small and large firms. Effects of changing framework conditions (crisis) and public procurement for innovation will be studied. We focus on transdisciplinary collaboration and improving knowledge transfer from research to industry. WP2 “Consumer and Sensory Science” will increase knowledge about sensory and consumer perception, eating behavior, and involving consumers in research and innovation to support more healthy and sustainable diets. We will study the relation of consumers perception, preferences and food intake barriers and drivers for overeating and unhealthy eating. We will also focus on food experiences and preferences for special groups of consumers (e.g. age groups, special diets) and advance methodological aspects of sensory and consumer research and associated statistical methods (sensometrics). WP3 “Food Technology” will build a knowledge base to improve taste, texture, nutritional quality, health impact and sustainability of different product categories. We will study ingredient and process interactions to ensure good functional properties, sensory quality, storage stability and nutritional quality in Norwegian plant-based products. Research will also focus on products with improved nutritional quality and products contributing to reduced glycaemic load as well as healthier and more sustainable meat products with sustainable protein replacements and strategies to reduce saturated fat. We collaborate interdisciplinary on joint topics across all WPs.

Publications from Cristin

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NOFIMA-FFL-NOFIMAS STRATEGISKE PROGRAMMER-FFL

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