TITLE:
Snack (Re)formulation in the Improvement of Health Effects on Glycaemia and Satiety Responses: Preliminary Results
AUTHORS:
Mary R. Yan, Elaine C. Rush, Ruth Jackson, Shamim B. Shaikh
KEYWORDS:
Snack (Re)formulation, Industrial Food Solutions, Food Labelling, Nutrition, Public Health
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.11 No.7,
July
9,
2020
ABSTRACT: Snacking impacts the overall quality of dietary patterns, nutrition and
health outcomes. Highly processed snack foods are normally unhealthy due to
higher saturated fat content, refined grains (carbohydrates), and artificial
ingredients. Snack product (re)formulation using plant-based wholesome
ingredients has the potential to improve health effects including glycaemia,
satiety responses, and lipid metabolism. Oat (Avena sativa L.) has gained increased popularity as a food item in recent decades due to
its perceived or real health benefits, principally related to the bran content
of oats. We have developed a healthier snack prototype using rolled oats as
main ingredients. Other ingredients include oat bran, dried fruits, and nuts.
For initial trials, these ingredients were combined in various combinations and
composition to produce a formula having a good nutrient profile score (≤4) that
meets the criteria of FSANZ for making health-related claims. The proportions
of the ingredients in the formula were adjusted to enable higher fiber and
protein contents. From the initial 10 combinations prepared, one prototype was
selected based on four quality attributes (visual appearance, texture, taste,
and water activity). The selected prototype was tested for glycemic index (n =
10) and consumer liking (n = 67). Our preliminary results demonstrated that the
prototype has a low glycemic index, favorable
satiety effects compared with glucose, and has acceptable taste compared with
two commercial products. This formulation will be refined further when we
plan to assess its effects on glycaemia and insulin profiles. High value
nutrition is the New Zealand national science challenge. An approach of developing
healthier snack products with verifiable health-related claims through
(re)formulation could be translated into
relevant dietary changes associated with potential improvement in public
health.