Engineering solutions for the production of functional and nutraceutical foods

开发具有靶向功能的更健康食品的重要性正在得到全世界的认可。在2007年8月给麦吉尔大学农业与环境科学系“L与L农业和L农业与食品委员会”的回忆录中，麦吉尔大学农业与环境科学系确认了在营养食品/功能性食品加工中所需的研发努力的重要性，以使我们的食品工业处于快速变化的市场需求的前沿。在欧洲，化学工程师学会(IChemE)在其2007年题为“21世纪路线图”的路线图文件中指出，需要开发和探索成分的功能，这是未来5年的主要优先事项。必须从天然产品中开发创新成分，以提供有益于健康的加工食品。随着加拿大忙碌的家庭(父母都有工作的家庭)在时间管理方面遇到的困难日益增加，对高质量加工/方便食品的需求不断增加。这项研究计划将调查干燥/处理/提取过程中涉及的热质传递效应，因为它们影响目标植物材料中植物营养物质的浓度，如豆类中的酚类化合物、苦瓜中的葡萄糖调节剂和亚麻籽中的植物雌激素等。食品、干燥草药和提取物中植物营养物质有效性的表征必须考虑加工和处理/制备方法中包括的各种影响。此外，还建议设计、建造和测试一个具有巨大潜力的创新的实验室规模的射频提取单元。鉴于加拿大营养食品市场的规模(2004年收入超过29亿加元)及其增长潜力(自2002年以来每年增长15%)，提取工艺和胶囊输送系统以及配料质量的改进肯定会立即在行业中得到广泛接受和应用。该计划将汇集工程学、化学、食品科学、营养和健康等跨领域主题，通过改善食品和天然保健品供应来提高生活质量。

The importance of developing healthier foods with target functionality is being recognized worldwide. In its August 2007 memoire to the "Commission sur l'avenir de l'agriculture et de l'agro-alimentaire québécois" the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of McGill University, recognized the importance of the research and development efforts needed in the processing of nutraceutical/functional foods to keep our food industries at the forefront of rapidly evolving market demands. In Europe, the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), in its 2007 roadmap document entitled "Roadmap for the 21st Century", has stated as a major priority of the next 5 years, the need to exploit and explore the functionality of ingredients. Innovative ingredients must be developed from natural products to deliver processed foods with health benefits. With the increasing difficulty in time management experienced by busy families in Canada (with families having both parents working), the demand for quality processed/convenient food products is ever increasing. This research program will investigate the heat and mass transfer effects involved in drying/ handling/ extraction processes as they impact on the concentration of phyto-nutrients from target plant materials such as phenolic compounds in legumes, glucose modulators in bitter melon, and phytoestrogens in flaxseed, etc. The characterization of the availability of the phyto-nutrients in foods, dried herbs and extracts must take account of the various effects included in processing and handling/preparation methods. Furthermore, it is proposed to design, construct and test an innovative labscale RF extraction unit that promises great potential. Given the size of the nutraceutical food market in Canada (revenues greater than CAN$2.9 billion in 2004) and its growth potential (15% annual growth since 2002), improvements in extraction processes and encapsulation delivery systems and the quality of ingredients will surely have great immediate acceptance and applicability in the industry. This program will bring together cross-cutting themes of engineering, chemistry, food science, nutrition and health to favour better quality of life from improved food and natural health products supply.