Project

Call for partners: OPTIMA-Snack: Optimising processing conditions for OPTIMAL quality and safety in healthy Snacks

Due to increased consumer demands for healthier snacks and the use of natural ingredients, there is an increase in products based on fruits and vegetables. Some well-known examples are beetroot wraps, cauliflower pizza bases and vegetable/fruit-based corn puffs for children. However, recent studies and experiments have shown that adding plant-based ingredients in snacks can lead to the formation of processing contaminants such as acrylamide, which can reach levels above the benchmark levels as indicated in Regulation (EU) 2017/2158. In order to guarantee the safety of such snacks, processing (time, temperature etc) need to be optimised ensuring formation of processing contaminants is minimised and quality of the snack (e.g. texture) is optimised.

Aim

The aim of this project is to explore processing options that help to obtain high quality and healthy plant-based snacks. We foresee modelling options as well as the use of NIR screening technology for on-site optimising processing such that processing contaminants are minimised while maintaining a high-quality product with the right texture.

Questions answered in this project are:

  • Which plant-based ingredients (fruits, vegetables, legumes) and formulations are appropriate to produce healthy snacks?
  • Which time and temperature combinations provide the optimal snacks given the texture and levels of processing contaminants?
  • Can on-site NIR on-site screening technology be used to control processing of healthy plant-based ingredients?

Key-benefits

The outcome of this project will help food companies in optimising their production process to produce snacks with high quality and guaranteed food safety level. It also helps companies to get aligned with upcoming legislation on processing contaminants.

  • The project will help in selecting the most optimal plant-based ingredients and/or formulation for producing healthy snacks in the product development stage.
  • Mitigation strategies will be established based on modelling outcomes to minimise processing contaminant formation.
  • In-line equipment will be tested allowing for swift mitigations and control in operating settings.

Interested? Let us know!

Interested parties are welcome to join us in this Public Private Partnership (PPP). LVVN will subsidize 50%, and participation in this PPP requires co-financing of 50% of the budget (cash and in-kind).

The deadline of this call is 30 june 2025.