Strategies for raising health promoting compounds in cereal products-Overview of results of the healthgrain project

Obesity and related diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and type-2 diabetes is developing into a world wide epidemic, with a major impact on the quality of life of a growing part of the world's population and on costs of health care. Recent reviews of large scale cohort indicate that dietary shifts from refined grain products to whole grain and high bran products can significantly reduce the incidence of these diseases and disorders, as well as health care costs. EU Integrated Project HEALTHGRAIN www.healthgrain.org is providing the scientific basis for better understanding of the health impact dietary fibre and other bio-active components of whole grains and for a new generation of healthy products, with high levels of cereal based fibres and bio-active compounds such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other phytochemicals. The HEALTHGRAIN approach is including research in breeding, growing, processing, nutrition, and consumer behaviour. A major screening, including 150 wheat varieties and 50 of other cereals, has shown substantial variation in the contents of bioactive components and that it is possible to combine high levels of active components with good yield and processing properties. These results will enable farmers and grain processors to grow and buy varieties with high intrinsic levels of fibre and/or other compounds. Fibres and other bio-active compounds are concentrated in the outer layers of grain kernels: germ and bran. The main inner bran layer, aleurone, is the richest source of these compounds. HEALTHGRAIN's processing research is exploring new approaches for dry milling and separation, for instance cryogenic milling and electrostatic separation. New fermentation routes, for enhanced formation of bio-active compounds are studied and baking processes are optimised for obtaining high quality bread with high levels of aleurone and/or arabinoxylan or resistant starch fibres. In vitro and animal nutrition studies aleurone rich fractions showed superior performance regarding anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and cholesterol lowering activity, and for supporting a favourable colonic bacterial flora. Consumer studies in Finland, Germany, Italy and England showed that health benefits were rated as being greater for functional modifications of basic foods, such as bread and pasta, rather than for foods such as biscuits. The value attached to health statements on (packaged) products varied greatly between countries. HEALTHGRAIN's research is complemented with a wide range of activities for getting results implemented into practice. The Industrial Platform, with 60 paying member companies has been formed as well as the Nutrition Information Network, with leading nutritionists from all over Europe. The HEALTHGRAIN Board is now developing a Strategic Research and Communication Agenda with an adequate structure to facilitate joint efforts in the years following the EU-funded project. CHOPIN Technologies; et al.; EU-FRESHBAKE, EU FP6 Project; HEALTHGRAIN, EU FP6 Project; Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development of the Republic of Croatia; Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia