EXTREAMS – tEXturizing & Taste from side stREAMS
EXTREAMS aims to achieve breakthroughs in valorising plant-based polysaccharides-rich side streams as natural, clean-label sugar replacers in food applications that are accepted by consumers. Sugars are difficult to replace due to their unique, multiple functionalities and cost-effectiveness. A reverse engineering approach towards functionalization is used by applying scientific know-how on physical and chemical properties of sugars and their effects on the perception of sweetness.
By covering the whole chain from side streams to ingredients to various end-product applications, EXTREAMS contributes to valorise side streams into high quality and nutrient dense, accepted consumer products. This results in more products becoming available that meet consumers’ demands for healthy and sustainable food. EXTREAMS provides strategies to valorise plant-based side streams and their inclusion in food via the use of minimal processing approaches.
The strategies developed in EXTREAMS, including communication towards consumers, will stimulate the consumption of plant-based food and make a shift from calorie dense to low caloric nutrient dense food. EXTREAMS will enable to enhance the inclusion of polysaccharides (dietary fibres), for which consumers generally have too low intake level, in food while replacing sugars and at the same time reducing food losses and waste. Such envisaged results well align with current consumer trends like (i) avoiding sugars, (ii) increasing fibre consumption and (iii) choosing for clean labels and (iv) for sustainable food. This consortium brings together ingredient producing companies (including their side streams) and end-product manufacturers to address these challenging goals collectively. Overall, EXTREAMS contributes to Priority 27 of MMIP D2: Transition to a more sustainable and healthy food supply and less food waste.
The intended results of EXTREAMS are: ▫ Consumer insights in acceptability and naturalness perception of sugar replacers from side streams; ▫ Functional, natural, clean-label sugar replacers based on naturally occurring or optimized blends from side streams applicable in food products; ▫ Evaluation of structure-function relation models in developing process concepts for functionalization of plant-based side streams towards natural, clean-label sugar replacers; ▫ Validated assays for analysing texturizing and bulking properties; ▫ Validated cell-based assays to study sweeteners; ▫ Economical feasible mild industrial processes to derive plant-based low-calorie sugar replacers from plant-based side streams.