Developing ingredient-product compatibility to enable the design and commercialisation of healthier staple-food products

豆类是一种负担得起的淀粉、蛋白质和纤维来源，具有缓释特性，对消费者有潜在的营养益处，尤其是在血糖控制和下肠道健康方面的改善，但在英国尚未得到充分利用。随着心脏代谢性疾病(如2型糖尿病、心血管疾病)的日益流行，功能成分和食品的市场正在形成；然而，利用豆类的天然有益特性的产品很少。该项目建立在一项新研究的基础上，该研究表明，一种处理豆类的新方法可以产生一种具有增强营养特性的食品成分。这个项目的重点是了解如何最好地在日常食品中使用这种成分，以提供现实和可接受的产品，并增加健康益处。最终，这一项目可能会导致新一代功能食品的开发，这些食品专门设计来提供缓释能量和益生菌效应。

Pulses are an affordable source of starch, protein and fibre, and have slow-release properties of potential nutritional benefit to consumers, notably improvements in glycaemic control and lower-bowel health, but are underutilised in the UK. With the increasing prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases (e.g. type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease), there is an emerging market for functional ingredients and foods; however, few products exist which exploit the natural beneficial properties of pulses. This project builds on new research showing that a novel method of processing pulses results in a food ingredient with enhanced nutritional properties. The focus of this project is to understand how the ingredient is best used in everyday food products to deliver a realistic and acceptable product with added health benefits. Ultimately, this project could lead to the development of a new generation of functional foods specifically designed to deliver slow-release energy and prebiotic effects.