Are slow release carbohydrates an opportunity for the food industry?
Starch is the main constituent of staple foods around the globe and the major glycaemic carbohydrate in the human diet. The production of most starch containing foods includes a gelatinization step which significantly improves starch bio-accessibility to the digestive enzymes. However, the resultant swift release of energy elicits high glycaemic responses that can lead to insulin resistance. This in turn leads to incapacity to control the level of blood glucose and eventually to diabetes and other disorders. Slowing down starch digestion in food is a unique opportunity to maintain normal blood glucose and insulin levels and, when scientifically proven, it leads to EFSA health claims with wordings such as “Consumption of cereal products high in slowly digestible starch raises blood glucose concentrations less after a meal than cereal products low in slowly digestible starch”. We offer you a chance to learn more about the opportunities ahead in controlling energy release.
Setting the scene
- Prof. Jan Delcour (KU Leuven): From belVita to new product concepts (8 min)
- Breda Kennedy (PepsiCo): The importance of slow energy release for the food industry (7 min)
Lectures
- Prof. Christophe Matthys (UZ Leuven): Impact of slow energy release on glycaemic response and its relevance for human health (20 min)
- Dr. Fred Warren (QIB): Analytical tools to evaluate starch digestion (20 min)
- Leonardo Mulargia (KU Leuven): Impact of starch properties in cookies on its in vitro digestion (20 min)