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Press release.
26/05/2009
Food models for research and innovation: INRA coordinates the European DREAM research project
The new EU DREAM project, coordinated by INRA, was launched last 26th May 2009 in Nantes. With 18 public and private sector partners from nine EU countries, DREAM is aimed at developing food models with well-characterised structures, to be used to simulate the impact of processing on the nutritional and microbiological properties of food. The development of standard food models representing several major food categories will make it easier for public and private research partners to pool their knowledge, and enable members of the food industry, especially SMEs, to benefit from models that are both generic and realistic enough to optimise their existing processes or come up with new ones.
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In terms of composition and structure, foods are very complex objects. Although scientists have a good grasp of the former, structure remains a bit of a mystery. But understanding food structure is key to understanding the effect of food in the human body. Scientists need realistic generic models that can mime this complexity. Such models would make it much easier to assess the impact of a change in composition, or of processing conditions on the nutritional and health properties of food.
The DREAM project will develop standard procedures for making of real foods, linking them to mathematical models. To cover the widest range of food products, four major food categories with distinct structures will be studied:
- Solid cell models (fruit and vegetables) and protein fibre network models (meat);
- Combined gel/emulsion/foam models (dairy products) such as yogurts, creams and cheeses, and solid foam models (grain products) such as bread.
With DREAM, scientists hope to enhance knowledge of the process-structure-function relationship by studying models from the molecular to the macroscopic level. Their findings will be useful in helping predict, for instance, the effect of bread texture on glycemic index, and more generally, the effect of structure on nutrient bioavailability. The development of realistic models and their manufacturing protocols will be carried out in close collaboration with technical centres to facilitate dissemination among small and medium enterprises that, in France as in the rest of Europe, make up the fabric of the agri-food industry. The relevant SMEs have activities in canning, the manufacture of processed meat products, dairy products, cheeses and baked products.
Models and protocols developed as part of DREAM will be disseminated to partners through existing organisations (EFFoST (1) , The European "Food for Life" platform and national platforms, the CIAA (2) and national federations, EFSA (3) and national regulatory bodies) The project will also focus on training young researchers.
The DREAM project was selected by the European Union as part of the 7th Framework Programme, under the "Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Biotechnology" thematic area. Total project cost is €8.6 million, of which €6 million is funded by the EU.
(1) European Federation of Food Science and Technology
(2) Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of the EU
(3) European Food Safety Authority
For more information: download the press kit (PDF, in French)
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