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Author: Av Svein Inge Meland, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
There are now more and more foods appearing in light forms that reduce fat.
"Fat contributes to the structure, taste and feel of our mouth. When we reduce or remove fat, we need to replace it with additives or fat substitutes to make the product attractive to consumers," said Dr. Ragnhild Aaen. Candidate of NTNU Chemical Engineering Department.
Her PhD was involved in a major project led by RISE PFI, which has always been the subject of this topic.
Light mayonnaise is an example of foods that require additives. Its oil content is much lower than ordinary mayonnaise, so starch must be added to achieve good stability and consistency.
The RISE PFI project has proven that nanocellulose can be used for this purpose.
"Nanocellulose forms a water-insoluble gel network, which effectively stabilizes the emulsion and contributes to a good structure in the mayonnaise. Nanocellulose has no taste or color, and no smell. The cellulose threads are so thin that they do not It feels like the food is lumpy," Aaen said.
Ragnhild Aaen and researchers from NTNU and RISE PFI (an institute that studies lignocellulose-based processes and products) are investigating the possibility of replacing existing additives with plant-based nanocellulose.
"Nanocellulose is an ultrafine thread or fibril composed of cellulose molecules. Fibrils have the unique ability to create a strong network. In plants and trees, they give the cell wall strength so that thin stems can bloom heavy flowers and huge Trees can stand upright in strong winds," she said.
NTNU researchers extract nanocellulose from wood pulp. The wood pulp passes through a high-pressure homogenizer to tear the fibrils.
"We have found that different types of nanocellulose are suitable for different applications. It does not matter where the cellulose comes from or what plant it is extracted from. However, various pre-treatments before homogenization are manufacturing many different types and creating the required The characteristics. Vegetables also contain nano-cellulose," Aaen said.
As for whether there are problems with the current use of additives, Aaen said that there are strict regulations on the use of additives in food.
"Compared with today's additives, one of the advantages of nanocellulose is that nanocellulose is mainly composed of water and may be cheaper. You only need a small amount, and obtaining nanocellulose is certainly not a problem," she said.
"In addition to being free of calories, cellulose is also a renewable resource. This is related to fiber and may even be beneficial to your health."
But generally speaking, the public is still quite skeptical about nanoplastics and nanoparticles.
"Cellulose and many cellulose derivatives have been approved for use in food," Aaen said. In terms of the risk of nanoparticles in food, “new products must go through an approval process. The question is how the new products perform in the intestinal system.”
“A lot of people are now studying the effects of various nano-celluloses as food additives. I think they are unlikely to have adverse effects. Many foods we eat contain natural cellulose, and fiber is thought to be good for digestion,” she said .
She believes that industrially produced nanocellulose is likely to eventually become a food additive.
Aaen knows that before we can thoroughly understand how to use different types of nanocellulose, we need to do more research-from cooking methods to the interaction between cellulose and food ingredients-so that we can determine the appropriate Nano cellulose in food. Further explore new technologies for reducing solvent polymer manufacturing for use in vehicle and packaging production. Norwegian University of Science and Technology provides a citation: Trees and plants may become new additives in "light" food (2020, November 10) Retrieved in November 2021 On the 25th, from https://phys.org/news/2020-11-trees-additives-food-products.html This document is protected by copyright. Except for any fair transaction for private learning or research purposes, no part may be copied without written permission. The content is for reference only.
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