Processing as a tool to manage digestive barriers in plant-based foods: recent advances

Publication date: Available online 25 November 2019Source: Current Opinion in Food ScienceAuthor(s): SHE Verkempinck, A Pallares Pallares, ME Hendrickx, T GrauwetNutrients are bio-encapsulated by different structures in plant-based foods, which can behave as digestive barriers upon consumption. These natural barriers can be modified during food processing (e.g. thermal and mechanical treatments). On the one hand, processing can be applied to fully disrupt naturally present barriers, while on the other hand, processing can be used for targeted modifications of these barriers in order to induce specific digestive responses. In this context, many researchers recently explored different processing techniques and/or intensities to modify the bio-encapsulation level of plant-based foods aiming to enhance and/or modulate nutrient release. In this review, we discuss the potential of processing as a tool to manage digestive barriers in plant-based foods. Two representative case studies on carotenoids (micronutrient) and starch (macronutrient) are included.
Source: Current Opinion in Food Science - Category: Food Science Source Type: research