Plant foods, for the challenges of the future
We perform applied and fundamental research concerning different aspects of plant food production, processing and consumption. This is done through collaborations with industry and other research groups.
Dietary fibre in relation to food design, processing, and consumption
To achieve in-depth understanding of the nutritional properties and physico-chemical behavior of fibre during industrial processing we determine componential composition of dietary fibre in plant food materials. We investigate structural features of β-glucan and arabinoxylan, which are two of the major components of dietary fibre. In collaboration with plant breeders we implement targeted changes of dietary fibre profile in cereals, improving their nutritional and functional properties.
Starch characteristics for food and bio-based materials
Starch is an inexpensive raw material and is therefore widely used for food and non-food applications. It constitutes a large part of the energy in the human and animal diet. It is also a perfect bio-based material in many industrial applications such as papers, plastics, detergents etc. In order to optimize starch for multiple applications, we characterize its molecular structure and nutritional value as well as physico-chemical properties.
Applications of product quality know-how in plant breeding
Modern plant breeding has access to a multitude of tools that makes it realistic to improve aspects of crop quality that has not been prioritized in traditional breeding programs. Collaborations between plant breeders and product quality experts has thus become very important. We work together with the Department of Plant Breeding and the Department of Plant Biology at SLU to e.g. explore the composition and use of a novel oil crop, a potato with slowly digested carbohydrates and cereal grain with modified dietary fibre.