Better food for all: the development of innovative and functional probiotic yogurt

《国家食品战略》描述了创新的必要性，以创造一个更好的食品体系，改善国民饮食，摆脱垃圾食品循环，保护国民健康保险制度。联合王国需要有效地管理非传染性疾病和慢性病，并改善长期系统性炎症的恢复。重点需要转向更健康的饮食，提供基本营养的食物，以及具有健康益处的高价值、利基“功能”食品。消费者越来越多地购买以健康和功能性为目的的食品，而市场已经准备好了。粮食生产需要通过减少碳排放、减少从农田到餐桌的距离和可追溯性，以及与脱碳议程相关的创新解决方案来实现可持续发展。乳品创新，通过浓缩和功能开发，可以产生的产品，除了基本的健康营养，赋予额外的健康和福祉的好处。食用酸奶和冰沙可提供充足的微观和宏观营养，改善消化和胃肠道问题，减少全身性炎症、骨质疏松、心血管疾病和代谢综合征等危险因素，如肥胖。该项目旨在测试创新和“功能性食品”的可行性，以酸奶/冰沙为基础，结合当地采购的可持续成分和侧流，包括绿茶、蜂蜜、亚糖和相关化合物、大黄根、高维生素D蘑菇和传统苹果，以改善营养和提高质量。将采用创新技术和工艺，包括先进的喷雾和冷冻干燥技术、发酵、反渗透、分离和分馏。增强功能成分将评估其化学变化、感官属性和消费者感知。这些成分将被添加到优化的酸奶/冰沙基础中，以创造出天然生物强化的、通常消费的“零食/便利”产品。具有增强“生物活性”成分的补充剂将包括在全血刺激（体外）实验中，以寻找抗炎活性。随后将进行人体可行性食品试验，调查该食品对生物体液成分、健康和健康的影响。从营养学家的角度来看，营养分析将探讨关键成分/产品的功能。市场调查将评估这些新颖和功能性成分/食品的使用、吸引力和需求。将为原料和产品的商业化以及知识产权开发提供支持，以填补高价值利基“功能食品”的空白，并将产品推向市场。该项目将为公司提供商业和科学背景的融合，以加速他们的竞争和市场优势，并支持未来的新产品开发，研发和市场进入，同时支持F&D的发展，证明健康益处和声称。

The National Food Strategy describes the need for innovation to create a better food system, improve the national diet, escape the junk food cycle and protect the NHS. The UK needs to effectively manage non-communicable diseases, chronic conditions and improve recovery from long-term systemic inflammatory conditions. Emphasis needs to shift to healthier diets with foods providing basic nutrition, alongside high value, niche 'functional' foods that have health benefits. Consumers are increasingly purchasing food products for healthful and functional purposes, and the market is primed. Food production needs to be sustainable with reduced carbon emissions, reduced field-to-fork miles and traceability, with innovative solutions in relation to the decarbonisation agenda.Dairy innovation, through enrichment and functional development, can result in products that, besides basic healthy nourishment, confer additional health and well-being benefits. Yogurt and smoothie consumption provides adequate intake of micro and macro nutrients, and improves digestion and gastrointestinal problems, and reduces systemic inflammation, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome risk factors such as obesity.This project aims test the feasibility of innovative and 'functional foods' using yogurt/smoothies as a base combined with locally sourced, sustainable ingredients and side-streams including green tea, honey, iminosugars and related-compounds, rhubarb root, high vitamin D mushroom and heritage apple, to improve nutrition and enhance quality. Innovative technologies and processes will be used, including advanced spray and freeze-drying technology, fermentation, reverse osmosis, separation, and fractionating. Enhanced functional ingredients will be assessed for chemical changes, sensory attributes and consumer perception. These ingredients will be added to optimised yogurt/smoothie bases to create naturally biofortified, commonly consumed 'snack/convenience' products.Supplements with enhanced 'bioactive' composition will be included in whole blood stimulation (_in vitro_) experiments to look for anti-inflammatory activity. This will be followed by a human feasibility food trial investigating effects of the food product on biofluid composition, wellness, and health.Nutritional analysis from a nutritionist perspective will explore the functionality of the key ingredients/products. Market research will assess the use, appeal, and demand of these novel and functional ingredients/foods. Support will be provided for the commercialisation of the ingredients and products, along with IP exploitation, to fill the gap for high value niche 'Functional Foods' and deliver products to market.This project will provide companies a fusion of business and scientific backgrounds, to accelerate their competitive and market advantage, and support future NPD, R&D and market entry, while underpinning the development of F&D with proven health benefits and claims.