Conception d'aliments méditerranéens à base de blé dur et de légumineuses : Contribution de la structuration des constituants à leurs qualités nutritionnelles et organoleptiques – PASTALEG

According to certain epidemiologic studies, the "mediterranean diet" seems to plays an essential role in the longevity of the population and the prevention of various diseases. These "health effects" are attributed to the consumption of various categories of foods, in which durum wheat and legumes are strongly represented. Unlike durum wheat, legume consumption has decreased considerably, in Mediterranean countries too, to the point at which they are generally only eaten a few times a year on average. A new "Mediterranean” food prepared from the close assembly of durum wheat and legume could help consumers to increase their consumption of legumes in an original manner. This "combined” food might also have better nutritional features (lower glycaemic index, hypocholesterolaemic effect, lower allergenicity...) than those of a simple combination of two ingredients (protein content and complementarity of amino-acids, richness in fibres, vitamins and minerals). These improved effects can only result from a specific association of the constituents into a complex food matrix.
The objectives of the project are as follows (i) determination of the impact of the food matrix structure on its nutritional properties (glycaemic index, fibre fermentescibility, protein digestibility and allergenicity), (ii) identifying the parameters and actions to be set up to modulate and control this structure. The food model chosen in this study is the dry pasta from durum semolina enriched with one or two of the legumes traditionally used as foods for humans. This project goes from the design of the food matrix to study of its structure and its technological and nutritional functionality aspects and finishes with its acceptability by a panel of consumers. Its execution will be based on the setting up of a national network of pluridisciplinary competences (technology, physico-chemistry, nutrition, medecine, sensorial analysis, data processing...).
The pooling of data of the different partners during this project will finally make it possible in the future to rationalise the design of food matrices with high nutritional impact. On the other hand, the demonstration of the existence in pasta enriched with legume of equivalent or possibly better nutritional properties than those of a mixture of the two raw materials could initiate the development by the industrial partner Panzani of an attractive range (using several legumes) of new products of "Mediterranean” label. These nutritional and sensory qualities would support also the agro-food companies associated to the project in their communication on the health and nutrition concept, while highlighting the "mediterranean character" of their existing products.