COLDZYME

Rational design and production of mixtures of psychrophilic starches for use in infant food.

 
 
 

Starchy baby foods are among the first nutritious choices of semi-solid food for babies. However, as the digestive system of infants is not fully developed, the consumption of starchy foods results in reduced energy intake and the appearance of digestive dysfunctions. The new trend in technological research, concerning starchy baby foods, is the controlled partial pre-hydrolysis of starch by enzyme mixtures (amylases). This process is expected to make baby foods more digestible for infants, reduce viscosity and increase the energy and nutrients absorption by infants as well as the sweetness of the final product. The enzymes, currently available for use for the above process, are not suitable as their activity is not familiar to the cereal starch used in baby food (rice, oats, wheat, etc.). In addition, they are not completely deactivated after their use, as a result of which the hydrolysis continues uncontrollably, directly affecting the rheological characteristics (high viscosity reduction) of the product. Based on the above, and with the aim of solving this technological problem, in this project YIOTIS S.A. will collaborate with two academic partners to develop amylase mixtures specialized for use in baby food flours, which will be completely safe for consumption by infants and will be derived from psychrophilic microorganisms so that they are completely inactivated at low temperatures.

The project is implemented within the framework of the Action of Research and Innovation Synergies in the Region of Attica and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union (ERDF) and national resources, through the Operational Program "Attica 2014 - 2020". (Project code: ATТР4-0340328)