FINISHED PROJECT: KEVYTTUOTE - Structure engineering concepts for light products

Tuesday, 18 May 2010 15:20

Kevyttuote research project “Structure engineering concepts for light products” was realised during 2007 – 2009 within the research programme on Nutrition, Food and Health (ELVIRA) organised by the Academy of Finland and the Finnish funding agency for technology and innovation (Tekes).

Kevyttuote was initially created to study structural, textural and rheological properties of wet proteinaceous food foams and develop foaming technologies, which exploit enzymes and hydrocolloids, towards desired structures and satisfactory stability. The project aimed on improved understanding of the parameters affecting formation and stability of aerated food products from proteins of different origins, such as milk, egg, cereal and meat. Enzymes were exploited to improve the stability of the foams. Selected aerated model products were formulated according to the interest of industry.

Aerated foods are not a new invention, but in fact have accompanied mankind throughout its recorded history. Leavened bread, shaken milk, butter and beer have nourished people well before Christian era. The explosion of aerated foods settled in the 16th and 17th centuries due to availability of exclusive new ingredients such as chocolate, sugar and eggs which were enjoyed only by the privileged nobility. Given the long history of technological applications of food foams, it is somewhat surprising that foam reseach and wider set of applications of foams are relatively recent.

Starting from basic nutrition in the beginning of our time, going through the era of energy-rich luxuries, foamy foods nowadays provide pleasant eating experience in the form of ice cream, desserts and confectionery but also lower-energy eating for those struggling with weight problems. Foams contain both air bubbles and entrapped water, thus offering ample selection of possibilities for innovative product development.

Aerated food polymer matrices may find applications, of course in reducing the energy density, but also in inducing satiety, as carriers of nutrients and flavours, and in novel gastronomic structures. In Kevyttuote project technological solutions towards satisfactory stability and novel structures of wet food foams were searched for.

Kevyttuote was executed by VTT Bio and Process Technology and University of Helsinki, Department of Food and environmental sciences. Members of the project team at VTT were Dr. Raija Lantto (project coordinator, meat gel foams, enzymes), Dr. Riitta Partanen (caseinate, milk and egg foams, foaming technology), Dr. Arja Paananen (interfacial studies), Dr. Kaarina Viljanen (cereal foams), Martina Lille, M.Sc. (rheology) and Kaisu Honkapää, M.Sc. (experimental design and modelling).

In addition to the VTT project team, substantial amount of work related to hydrocolloids and their use as foam stabilizers was carried out by Dr. Riku Talja and Mari Heikkilä, M.Sc., under the supervision of Prof. Maija Tenkanen at the University of Helsinki. The project team collaborated with the Institute of Food Research at Norwich, UK on the analysis and measurement of surface properties of milk protein foams (Drs. Mike Ridout and Peter Wilde). The project was steered by eight Finnish food companies including SMEs and larger companies.

Further information:

Dr. Raija Lantto
Senior Research Scientist
+358 20 722 4411, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it