FP6 - 23060 NOCHEMFOOD: NOvel Vegetal-based Extracts Additives for CHEMical-Free FOOD

Contacts
Website: www.nochemfood.org




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Life Science and Food Quality

Type of Project	STREP
Contract No	FP6 - 23060
Total Cost	4,130 KEuro
EC Contribution	2,260 KEuro
Start Date	1-8-2006
Duration	36 Months

Abstract

The main objective of NOCHEMFOOD is the development of a novel class of food-additives based on a mixtures of substances extracted from vegetal sources. A group of potential assailants to food safety is represented by food additives, which are still one of the most misunderstood topics in foods that raise consumer's concern. Food additives play an important role in today's complex food supply. Food controls focuses mainly on chemical additives, which are very often present, even if only in minor, or trace amounts. They are intentionally added to food in order to produce a desired positive effect, although their level has to be maintained within regulated limits.

NOCHEMFOOD will develop a new biotechnological strategies aimed at producing foods containing mainly natural ingredients, and from which possibly harmful chemical components have been removed. In particular, it will be investigated the potential use in the sausage industry of natural preserving agents, constituted by a mixture of active molecules extracted from vegetal sources, in substitution of chemical additives. These extracts will be mainly obtained using environmentally friendly extraction processes. The substances will be tested as substitutes for chemical additives such as nitrates and nitrites.

These are widely used, with the aim of improving the storage of the product, to better preserve its colour, taste and flavour and finally, to maintain its texture. Before their use, the new products will be tested for their antimutagenicity and antimicrobial capability against undesiderable or pathogenic microorganisms. Evaluation of possible protein damage will be performed. The obtained products will be monitored from a microbiological point of view and biochemical point of view.

The products will be analysed during all their shelf-life by monitoring the proteic, peptidic, amino acidic and lipidic profiles as index of the endogenous and exogenous enzymatic activities present inside of them

Activities

The research activies will cover

• the extraction processes, which will be initially based on lab-scale experiments.
• the full characterization of the extracts from the chemical point of view as well as from the point of view of their potential toxicity.
• tests on meat products.
• the microbiological and biochemical characterization of the meat products
• sensorial panel tests for the evaluation of the
• organoleptic properties of the food treated with the vegetal additives.
• the exploration of alternative food classes where the extracts could be applied.
• project exploitation and dissemination.

Coordinator

Bioma Agroecology Co Ag, Switzerland

Partners

• Istituto Di Scienze Dell'alimentazione - C.N.R.,Italy
• Evaggelopoulos Apostolos,Greece
• Embutidos Dany S.L.,Spain
• Salumificio F.Lli Spiezia Spa,Italy
• Innova S.P.A.,Italy
• Universita' Degli Studi Del Molise,Italy
• Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Científicas,Spain
• Asociación Para La Investigación De La Industria Cárnica De La Rioja,Spain

Contacts

Coordinator

• Alessandro CAPODICASA / Bioma Agroecology Co Ag SWITZERLAND