Namra Samar’s Post

Our latest research paper examining the nutritional quality of plant-based products which utilises the NIQ Brandbank product library, has been published! Key highlights from the study: >Plant-based product (PB) groups had higher fibre contents on average than animal-based (AB). >Most of the AB product groups had higher protein contents on average than their PB alternatives. >There were large variations of nutritional quality presented as Nutri-Scores in PB product groups. >Vitamin B12 was the most commonly supplemented nutrient in PB products. >All AB beef products showed a higher percentage of essential amino acids to total protein content. A big shoutout to my wonderful collaborators Ellie L., Katie Williams, Noemi Tejera, PhD, Maja Omieljaniuk, Paul Finglas, and Maria Traka for their invaluable contributions to this project! 🎉 #PlantbasedProducts #MeatAlternatives #NutritionalQuality #Nutriscore #AminoAcids

Discover how Professor Levente Diosady and his team at the University of Toronto's Food Engineering Laboratory are transforming global nutrition with innovative food fortification. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4bU87X5

🔬 Poster Presentation: Encapsulation of Ginger Oil in Emulsions and Measurement of Droplet Size and Stability 🌱 I had the pleasure of presenting my research poster during a session organized by the School of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Leeds. The event was run in a conference-style format, providing an excellent opportunity to engage with colleagues, explore the variety of research projects conducted over the summer, and participate in some fruitful, informal discussions. My project focuses on the encapsulation of ginger essential oil in emulsions using pea protein and sodium alginate. By optimizing the concentrations of these plant-based ingredients, I was able to improve the stability and reduce droplet sizes in the emulsions, making them more suitable for food applications. The research highlights the potential for pea protein to serve as a plant-based alternative to traditional emulsifiers. Key findings: Pea protein concentration (4-5%) enhances stability and reduces droplet size in ginger oil emulsions. Sodium alginate prevents phase separation, working synergistically with pea protein for long-term storage stability. This formulation offers a sustainable process for encapsulating and stabilizing ginger essential oil, which can be applied industrially. The session was a great platform to receive feedback from my peers on both my research and poster presentation, which will undoubtedly help me refine my dissertation. A big thank you to the School of Food Science & Nutrition, University of Leeds, University of Leeds for organizing this fantastic event and to everyone who offered feedback! 🙌 #Research #FoodScience #UniversityOfLeeds #GingerOil #Emulsions #PlantProteins #Sustainability #PeaProtein #Encapsulation #FoodInnovation #PosterSession

I had the privilege of engaging with the 4th International Electronic Conference on Nutrients held from October 16 to 18, co-organized by my university, San Raffaele. This event centered on the latest developments in nutrient research, particularly emphasizing innovations in plant-based nutrition and their relevance to health and sustainable food systems. The conference provided a multidisciplinary platform to explore cutting-edge research and advancements in nutrient science, focusing on both macronutrients and micronutrients. Key discussions covered new methodologies for nutrient extraction, bioavailability, and the formulation of functional foods. Additionally, advanced analytical techniques such as metabolomics, proteomics, and nutrient profiling were explored in relation to their applications in food safety and quality. As the global demand for healthier and more sustainable diets continues to grow, the event highlighted the essential role of nutrients and lifestyle modifications, stressing the importance of incorporating more plant-based foods into diets to promote enhanced health and sustainability.

Pleased to share that one more research article, titled "Exploring Pectin from Ripe and Unripe Banana Peel: A Novel Functional Fat Replacer in Muffins," has been published in Food Chemistry X. (IF=6.1) 🍌🧁 The authors investigated the potential of pectin extracted from banana peels, both ripe and unripe, as an innovative and healthier fat replacer in muffin recipes. The findings highlight how this sustainable approach not only improves the nutritional profile of baked goods but also contributes to reducing food waste. Check out the full paper here: https://lnkd.in/gXHGxYaC A special thank you to my incredible co-authors and collaborators for their dedication and expertise. We are also grateful to OTKA for providing the support and resources that made this research possible. We deeply appreciate the reviewers and editorial team for their insightful feedback and guidance, which helped us refine and enhance our work. #Research #Publication #FoodScience #Sustainability #BananaPeel #FatReplacers #InnovativeIngredients #HealthyEating #Nutrition #FoodTechnology #CircularEconomy #WasteReduction #FoodInnovation #GreenScience #FunctionalFoods #AcademicResearch #ScienceAndTechnology

🌟 Innovative Solutions in Food Science 🌟 Discover the cutting-edge advancements in food technology with EFF's latest article, "Pickering Emulsions in Food and Nutraceutical Technology: From Delivering Hydrophobic Compounds to Cutting-Edge Food Applications." 🔬 Dive into the world of Pickering emulsions, where we explore their unique role in enhancing the delivery of hydrophobic compounds in food systems, offering a healthier and more efficient approach to nutrition. 📘 Join us in the special issue "Food Delivery of Hydrophobic Compounds in Food Systems" to learn how these innovative emulsions are transforming the future of food and nutraceuticals. 👨🍳👩🍳 For food scientists, technologists, and enthusiasts, this is an opportunity not to be missed. Let's embrace the future of food together! 🔗Read the article: https://lnkd.in/g-yBEVeD 🔗View the special issue: https://lnkd.in/gPjv7GCt #FoodInnovation #Nutraceuticals #PickeringEmulsions #FoodScience #HealthierFoodSystems

New review paper in Current Research in Food Science from our research group highlighting the potential opportunities and challenges with developing plant-based seafood alternatives. Abotsi, E., Panagodage, Y., & English, M. (2024). Plant-based seafood alternatives: Current insights on the nutrition, protein-flavour interactions, and the processing of these foods. Current Research in Food Science. https://lnkd.in/gVReKQHb

Fighting #inflammation through #precision #fermentation? 🍶 👨⚕️ Fermentation is one of the oldest food processing technologies (dated more than 10k years ago) used to increase storage life, along with cooking, smoking, salting or air drying. Beyond that, the activity of multiple and complex microbial ecosystems made of bacteria and yeasts elicit higher nutritional value and well appreciated organoleptic properties to the final products. Fermentation can be applied to a wide range of food types, from meat to fish, milk, vegetables, beans, cereals, and fruits, and it may occur spontaneously, from the original food matrix, or controlled, by the addition of specific starters such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Other bacteria commonly used include Streptococcus, Lactococcus, and Leuconostoc, together with some yeast and fungi. 🍻 🍞 🥛 🥦 Some fermented foods, such as kombucha, yogurt, and kimchi, have gained attention due to their potential health benefits reported in animal and human trials. Large cohort studies and some interventional studies have associated the intake of fermented foods with #weight #maintenance and reduced incidence of #diabetes, #cancer, and #cardiovascular #disease. A recent longitudinal study of a subset of #American #Gut #Project (4 weeks observation on 115 people) found differences in the fecal metabolome among fermented food consumers versus non-consumers, with an enrichment in the anti-inflammatory #conjugated #linoleic #acid (#CLA) in the former group (https://lnkd.in/dFxc2mfC). Similar trend was observed in another longitudinal study (over 10 weeks) where a cohort-wide decrease in many inflammatory markers was observed in fermented food consumers vs high-fiber food consumers, coincident with higher #microbiota #diversity (https://lnkd.in/dpjt9YZM). Is the transition toward precision fermentation laying the foundations of #future #food #systems? Advances based on #genomics and #synthetic #biology led us to a process capable of releasing specific compounds, for the food, chemical or medical industry. When combined with genomics, fermentation has the potential to create novel foods and generate a wide range of bioactive ingredients. An example is in the case of oleaginous red yeast Rhodosporidium toruloides, engineered to improve its natural synthesis of #lipids and #carotenoids as well as their extraction and separation from the cells, increasing yields (https://lnkd.in/dhsEny87) Are fermented foods ideal for everyone? What about #Infants? 🍼 As recently reported, a partly fermented infant formula was able to promote #infant #growth and it was well-tolerated in healthy term infants. The formula contained postbiotics from the Lactofidus fermentation, a mixture of scGOS/lcFOS, 2′-FL, and milk fat (https://lnkd.in/dwUuGr3G). Lesson learned from traditional methods, are we ready to embrace innovation through targeted fermentation? 🚀 www.minutia.ai

Is the transition toward #precision #fermentation laying the foundations of future food systems? An interesting analysis by our expert Silvia Barbaresi 💡

I am pleased to share our new article about the fermentation of oats by probiotic bacteria, published in the Journal of "Trends in Food Science and Technology" with Impact Factor 15.1. https://lnkd.in/diAbeuBx