Calabuig Serna Tono, Esteller Cucala Paula, Martínez Rodero IrisEscola Tècnica Superior d’Enginyeria Agronòmica i del Medi Natural, Universitat Politècnica de València

Nutrients(sterilized)

Fusarium venetatum

A3/5

Fermentation RNA reduction Centrifugation Refrigeration Myco-protein Mixing

Egg albumin

Colour or other flavoour

ingredients

Stabilisation QuornTM product

In 1967, and after having tested more than 3,000 candidate organisms, British food company RHM selected strain Fusarum venetatum A3/A5 as a food source component.Fusarium venetatum A3/A5, a microfungus of the ascomycota phylum, is the main ingredient of mycoprotein, that combined with other additives leads to a huge variety of products registered as QuornTM products.QuornTM first product, being a vegetable pie, came to market in the 1980s and nowadays there are over 90 products available. Definitely, a perfect choice for not only vegetarians but for those willing to give it a try.

Key nutritional facts§  High quality protein with all essential amino acids§  High in dietary fibre§  Low in saturated fats, no cholesterol or trans fats§  Low in sodium

Production Process

Nutrients§  Glucose and ammonium are the

carbon and n it rogen source, respectively, added in excess

§  Potassium, magnesium, phosphate

Myco-protein: raw material for Quorn productsMixing: with binding agent (egg albumin) and other ingredientsStabilisation: includes shaping, texturizing and packaging

Celiac diseaseCeliac disease is an allergic-related illness characterized by an abnormal immune reaction against gluten fraction proteins (mainly gliadins), which are storage proteins contained in some vegetal grains or seeds as wheat. As celiac patients need to follow a strict gluten-free diet, they are not allowed to intake this kind of food. Some raw materials have been used in order to develop substitute doughs for wheat flours, but the problem is they show worse quality and are difficult to bake.

Biotechnological cropsBy using plant-transformation methods it is possible to obtain transgenic wheat plants with lower gliadin content. These modified crops allow the production of gluten-free wheat dough to produce bread suitable for celiac patients. This genetically modified wheat has been engineered using interference RNA technology, which allows the under-expression of target genes.

Transgenic plants: the ultimate way to achieve gluten-free bread Bread from gluten-free wheat

Flour from transgenic wheat with lower content of gliadins has been used in order to produce dough. Resulting baked bread properties have been compared with breads from wild type wheat flour and from rice flour, respectively. Bread from modified wheat showed reduced gliadin contents up to a 97% in comparison to “wild type” bread but with proper baking and suitable sensory properties. Celiac patients can consume 67g of this bread per day without showing significant health consequences.

Figure 2. Breads from: wild type wheat flour, reduced content in gliadins wheat flour and rice flour.

(Gil-Humanes et al., 2014)

Figure 1. RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC).(Based on Rutz and Scheffold, 2004)

Figure 4. Product coated with edible coating by layer-by-layer method.

Food product

Adhesive layer

Food product

Active layer

Coated food product

The edible packaging which mimics how nature wraps Edible films and coatings arises as the most suitable solution for current food preservation: they are thin layers of edible materials contributing to food structural integrity, mechanical-handling properties improvement, distribution and marketing.

Food shelf-lifeFood texture and appearance is controlled by 3 factors during its shelf-life:1.  Product characteristics and properties: enzymatic,

chemical, physical and microbiological changes.2.  External agents exposition during storage and

distribution: temperature, relative humidity and light intensity.

3.  Barrier properties of packaging material: protection against gases (O2, CO2, N2), water vapour, aromas and light.

Requirements for an edible coating material§  Good adhesion to food surface §  Low permeability to water vapor, O2 and CO2 §  Acceptable color, taste, flavor and texture

Materials used as edible coatings Edible films and coatings may be classified according to the kind of material from which they derive. Each chemical class has its inherent properties, advantages, and limitations for being used as films:§  Proteins§  Polysaccharides§  Lipids §  Composite

Wikicell: a delicious edible form of packagingAs any other edible packaging, Wikicell is designed to be an integral part of the product –which could be eaten, improving food quality and it is biodegradable. It encloses foods or drinks in a way similar to how nature protects a coconut or an orange. Harvard bioengineer David Edwards believes he has found a way to reduce the current amount of packaging waste: eating it. The edible membrane is capable of keeping food such as yogurt, cheese and juice fresh for up to six months.

Figure 5. The anatomy of WikiCell. (Image credit: Majance)

Today’s foods are not conceived only to feed humans, but also to prevent nutrition-related diseases and to improve consumers’ physical and mental well being. In this sense, functional foods play a key role. Their rising demand is a consequence of the increase in life expectancy as well as the growing desire of more and more people to improve not only their life quality but also to become more environmentally friendly. The European Comission’s Concerted Action of Funcional Food Science in Europe (FuFoSE) defines functional food as a product that has beneficial effects on one or more functions in the human organism. Functional foods have been developed in virtually all food categories and from a product point of view, the functional property can be included in numerous different ways. In this poster some interesting examples of food innovations are highlighted.

Meat for veggies

Fermentation: microorganism growth§  Continuos process, up to 6 weeks§  40 m high reactors§  at 30oC and pH 6

RNA reduction§  Heat shock treatment at 64-65oC.§  For safety standards

Centrifugation: at 90oC, yields >20% solidsRefrigeration: from 90oC to 4oC

Food skin: the packaging revolution

This gene silencing mechanism is based on the artificial introduction of DNA constructs with inverted sequences of the endogenous target genes, in this case the genes encoding for α, β and ω gliadins. When the artificial constructs are transcribed in the plant, the resulting transgenic mRNAs join the complementary mRNAs of the gliadin genes and form double stranded RNA molecules. These double stranded RNA molecules are detected and cleaved by a DICER ribonuclease and fragments called microRNA (miRNA) and interfering RNA (siRNA) are obtained. miRNA and siRNA are recognized by RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) and Argonaute proteins (AGOs), and they specifically induce the silencing of gliadins genes from which RNA fragments are originated.

X O2

Figure 3. Potential of an edible coating as a moisture barrier.

CO2

H2OO2

X

X

Coated food Non-coated food

CO2

H2O

To sum up §  The use of modern biotechnology to modify foods for human consumption is an undeniable source of unlimited possibilities.§  These types of technologies allow the development not only of the products themselves but also the optimization in their

production. §  Nutritionally enhanced crops may be a solution to end with world-wide malnutrition as well as to ease some chronic diseases.§  Microorganisms can be a food source which provides the world with nutritious, abundant and environmentally friendly products. §  Taking advantage of edible coating in order to preserve food, extra properties such as probiotics or nutraceuticals can be added.§  Though this tendency is slowly changing, society feels rather skeptical and cautious about new biotechnological edible products.

Main referencesFakhouri, F. M., Martelli, S. M., Caon, T., Velasco, J. I., & Mei, L. H. I. (2015). Edible films and coatings based on starch/gelatin: Film properties and effect of coatings on quality of refrigerated Red Crimson grapes. Postharvest Biology and Technology, 109, 57-64.Gil-Humanes, J., Pistón, F., Altamirano-Fortoul, R., Real, A., Comino, I., Sousa, C., ... & Barro, F. (2014). Reduced-gliadin wheat bread: an alternative to the gluten-free diet for consumers suffering gluten-related pathologies. PloS one,9(3), e90898.Wiebe, M. (2002). Myco-protein from Fusarium venenatum: a well-established product for human consumption. Applied microbiology and biotechnology, 58(4), 421-427.

Image 2. QuornTM Meat F ree Tha i Chicken Fillets.

Image 1. QuornTM Meat Free Chorizo.