New generation of innovative healthy foods to address some of the major health challenges

Abstract

Malnutrition and obesity may be two opposite but major food related problems in the world. There are about 900 million undernourished people in the world. Asia, which accounts for about 60% of the total, is the most affected region and the major cause is the lack of balanced protein in the diet. Protein-rich foods are less affordable to a major segment of the population in the region. Obesity, type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) pose a major health challenge in the world. Nutritionally poor foods e.g. low in dietary fibre, high in oil, high in starch and low in protein plays a key role in these health problems. A range of commonly consumed foods including bread, pasta, instant noodles, biscuits and chips were developed by incorporating 10-50% lupin flour. Lupin flour is high in protein (40%) and dietary fibre (28%) and also a good source of micro nutrients such as Ca, P, K, Fe and Zn. Addition of lupin flour substantially increased the nutritional value of foods. Incorporation of 20% lupin in pasta, instant noodles and cookies resulted in up to 55% increase in protein and up to 160% increase in dietary fibre contents without deteriorating the consumer acceptability. The crisps prepared by using lupin flour had similar attractiveness to potato and other type of chips but contained 300% more protein, six times more dietary fibre, six times less starch and half of the fat than traditional potato chips.