Pulses as Sustainable Protein Sources: Benefits, Drawbacks, and Gaps

Future of food: Innovating towards sustainable healthy diets

New stable isotope method to measure protein digestibility and response to pancreatic enzyme intake in cystic fibrosis

Overcoming barriers to sustainable, healthy diets

Q&A with Gunhild Stordalen: Feeding the world and protecting the planet with healthy and sustainable diets

<scp>IFST</scp> vision for a <scp>UK</scp>‐wide national food strategy

Promoting sustainable diets might contribute toward achieving sustainable development goals. Considering the importance of national food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs), this study aimed to assess and compare the sustainability dimensions of the usual Iranian dietary intakes with sustainable optimal diets based on Iranian (2006 and 2015 versions), Mediterranean, and vegetarian FBDGs. The usual dietary intakes of Iranian households were estimated using household expenditure survey data. Diet sustainability, including environmental (water, carbon, and land) footprints, cost, and nutrient-rich food (NRF) index, was calculated for the usual diet and compared with those of different FBDGs. Using linear and goal programming, optimal food models were calculated by minimizing environmental footprints and cost and maximizing NRF simultaneously for each FBDG, while maintaining nutritional considerations recommended by the FBDGs. Replacing the usual dietary intake of Iranians with the optimal diet based on the 2016 Iranian FBDG was associated with reductions equal to 20.9% for water footprint, 22.48% for carbon footprint, 20.39% for land footprint, 31.83% for cost, and 7.64% increase in NRF index. The optimal model based on the 2016 Iran FBDG was 10% more sustainable compared with the 2005 version. Changing the usual consumption of Iranians to the optimal model based on the Mediterranean pyramid was accompanied by the highest NRF index, lower environmental footprints, and cost compared to other models. The recent Iranian FBDG, compared with the older one, was more sustainable. Considering the dimensions of a sustainable diet for future FBDG revisions is recommended.

Sustainable and healthy diets: trade-offs and synergies : final scientific report

Digestibility of protein in traditional diets from developing countries such as India, Guatemala, and Brazil is considerably lower compared to that of protein in typical North American diets (54-78 versus 88-94%). The presence of less digestible protein fractions, high levels of insoluble fiber, and high concentrations of antinutritional factors in the diets of developing countries, which are based on less refined cereals and grain legumes as major sources of protein, are responsible for poor digestibility of protein. The effects of the presence of some of the important antinutritional factors on protein and amino digestibilities of food and feed products are reviewed in this chapter. Food and feed products may contain a number of antinutritional factors that may adversely affect protein digestibility and amino acid availability. Antinutritional factors may occur naturally, such as glucosinolates in mustard and rapeseed protein products, trypsin inhibitors and hemagglutinins in legumes, tannins in legumes and cereals, phytates in cereals and oilseeds, and gossypol in cottonseed protein products. Antinutritional factors may also be formed during heat/alkaline processing of protein products, yielding Maillard compounds, oxidized forms of sulfur amino acids, D-amino acids, and lysinoalanine (LAL, an unnatural amino acid derivative). The presence of high levels of dietary trypsin inhibitors from soybeans, kidney beans, or other grain legumes can cause substantial reductions in protein and amino acid digestibilities (up to 50%) in rats and pigs. Similarly, the presence of high levels of tannins in cereals, such as sorghum, and grain legumes, such as fababean (Vicia faba L.), can result in significantly reduced protein and amino acid digestibilities (up to 23%) in rats, poultry, and pigs. Studies involving phytase supplementation of production rations for swine or poultry have provided indirect evidence that normally encountered levels of phytates in cereals and legumes can reduce protein and amino acid digestibilities by up to 10%. D-amino acids and LAL formed during alkaline/heat treatment of proteins such as casein, lactalbumin, soy protein isolate, or wheat proteins are poorly digestible (less than 40%), and their presence can reduce protein digestibility by up to 28% in rats and pigs. A comparison of the protein digestibility determination in young (5-week) versus old (20-month) rats suggests greater susceptibility to the adverse effects of antinutritional factors in old rats than in young rats. Therefore, the inclusion of protein digestibility data obtained with young rats, as the recommended animal model, in the calculation of PDCAAS (Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score) may overestimate protein digestibility and quality of products, especially those containing antinutritional factors, for the elderly. For products specifically intended for the elderly, protein digestibility should be determined using more mature rats.

Legumes, e.g. beans and peas, can contain antinutritional factors. Some varieties of faba beans (Vicia faba), soya beans (Glycine max ) and white kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) can contain in their raw state antinutritional factors such as tannins, trypsin inhibitors and lectins respectively which negatively effect the protein digestibility by nonruminants e.g. pigs. Also the storage protein is not easily digested by nonruminants. The main aim of the present study was to find a reasonable alternative for the technological elimination of antinutritional factors and cleavage of storage proteins in beans to increase the protein digestibility in pigs. Germination experiments with soya- and white kidney beans resulted in a decrease of the amount of trypsin inhibitors and lectins respectively but the amount of tannins remained constant during germination of faba beans. When these three germinated legume varieties were used for in vitro protein digestibility experiments with pepsin and pancreatin results indicated an increased protein digestibility in all the three legumes, Further research on white kidney beans resulted in the isolation of an enzyme extract from germinated beans, capable of cleaving lectins; and phaseolin, a storage protein. After investigations it appeared that also specific proteases and glycosidases from microbial organisms, other plants and animals were able to cleave lectin and/or phaseolin into smaller fragments. Germination increased the deviation of the amino acid composition of faba-, soya- and white kidney beans from what is ideally needed for feeding of pigs. Feeding germinated white kidney beans to pigs as compared to ungerminated beans improved the digestion of the bean protein by a decrease of the antinutritional factors and an increase in true ileal bean protein digestibility.

There is an increase interest in the modern era by individuals, dietitians and researchers on the utilization of fruit wastes which contain many health-beneficial nutrients and how to incorporate them into some acceptable products for use in overcoming modern-day diseases. This study aims to prepare high quality functional corn chips (Doritos) from some unused fruit wastes with the addition of soybeans, at low cost and high nutritional value.Corn chips were produced from the mixture of corn flour with some seeds powder (guava and pomegranate seeds) and one type of legumes (soybean). Blends were prepared in a different ratios corn100%, corn+ GS (97 + 3%), corn+PSR (97 + 3%), corn+S+GS (87+10+3%) and corn+ S+PSR (87+10+3%)using traditional techniques like drying, milling and roasting. Then, sensory evaluation, chemical composition, fatty acids, amino acids, antioxidant activity, anti-nutritional factors and protein digestibility were determined in samples. The results of the sensory evaluation showed that the best acceptance was for the blend containing corn / soybean / pomegranate seeds and the following corn / guava seeds blend, however the control sample prepared with (100% corn) remained more acceptable compared to the other blends. Also,The results showed that guava seeds, pomegranate seeds, corn and soybean were rich in many nutrients such as protein, minerals, fatty acids, fibers and antioxidant components. As a result, the protein content, crude fiber and minerals content of the corn chips Doritos showed a significantly improvement with the addition of seeds and soybean flour compared to the control sample. The amino acids content of corn chips ‘Doritos’, increased especially with the addition of soybean. Also, the addition of seeds and soybean flour with heat treatment reduced the amount of anti-nutritional factors , while there was an increase in protein digestibility in blends compared to control Doritos. On conclusion, seeds powder of guava, pomegranate and soybean can be used as one of the ingredients to prepare new food products that are suitable for human nutrition, have good acceptance, help in reducing many diseases and they also help in preserving the environment as a result of using these wastes. Keywords: Corn flour, guava seeds, pomegranate seeds ,soybean, chemical composition, amino acids, protein digestibility, anti-nutritional factors and sensory evaluation الاستفادة من بذور الرمان والجوافة في صناعة رقائقذرة (دوريتوس( معزز بفول الصويا استير فيکتور عبد النور ،مروة زکى محفوظ قسم الاقتصاد المنزلي- تغذية و علوم أطعمة- کلية التربية النوعية – جامعة الإسکندرية- مصر هناک اهتمام متزايد فى العصر الحديث من قبل الأفراد وأخصائيي التغذية والباحثين حول استخدام مخلفات الفاکهة التي تحتوي على العديد من العناصر الغذائية الصحية المفيدة وکيفية دمجها في بعض المنتجات المقبولة لاستخدامها في التغلب على أمراض العصر الحديث. تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى تحضير رقائق الذرة الوظيفية عالية الجودة (الدوريتوس) من بعض مخلفات الفاکهة الغير مستخدمة مع إضافة فول الصويا بتکلفة منخفضة وقيمة غذائية عالية. تم إنتاج رقائق الذرة من مزيج دقيق الذرة مع مسحوق بعض البذور (بذور الجوافة والرمان) ونوع واحد من البقوليات (فول الصويا). تم تحضير الخلاطات بنسب مختلفة 100% ذرة، ذرة+ بذور جوافة (97+3%)، ذرة+بذور رمان (97+3%)، ذرة+ فول صويا+ بذور جوافة (87+10+3%) و ذرة+ فول صويا+ بذور رمان (87+10+3%) باستخدام التقنيات التقليدية مثل التجفيف والطحن والتحميص . بعد ذلک تم تقدير التقييم الحسي ، الترکيب الکيميائي ، الأحماض الدهنية ، الأحماض الأمينية ، نشاط مضادات الأکسدة ، العوامل المضادة للتغذية وهضم البروتين في العينات. أظهرت نتائج التقييم الحسي أن أفضل قبول کان للخليط الذي يحتوي على بذور الذرة / فول الصويا / الرمان و يلية خليط الذرة / بذور الجوافة ، ومع ذلک ظلت العينة الکنترول المحضرة من (ذرة 100 ٪) أکثر قبولا مقارنة بالخلاطات الأخرى . کما أظهرت النتائج أن بذور الجوافة وبذور الرمان والذرة وفول الصويا کانت غنية بالعديد من العناصر الغذائية مثل البروتين والمعادن والأحماض الدهنية والألياف والمکونات المضادة للاکسدة. نتيجة لذلک ، أظهر محتوى البروتين والألياف الخام والمحتوى المعدني لرقائق الذرة الدوريتوس تحسنا ملحوظا مع إضافة البذور ودقيق فول الصويا مقارنة بالعينة الکنترول. زاد محتوى الأحماض الأمينية لرقائق الذرة الدوريتوس خاصة مع إضافة فول الصويا.و ايضا أدت إضافة البذور ودقيق فول الصويا مع المعالجة الحرارية إلى تقليل کمية العوامل المضادة للتغذية ، في حين کانت هناک زيادة في هضم البروتين في الخلطات مقارنة بالدوريتوس فى المجموعة الکنترول. في الختام ، يمکن استخدام مسحوق بذور الجوافة والرمان وفول الصويا کأحد المکونات لإعداد منتجات غذائية جديدة مناسبة للتغذية البشرية ، ولديها قبول جيد ، والمساعدة في الحد من العديد من الأمراض وتساعد أيضا في الحفاظ على البيئة نتيجة لاستخدام هذه المخلفات. الکلمات المفتاحية: دقيق الذرة؛ بذور الجوافة ، بذور الرمان ، فول الصويا ، الترکيب الکيميائي ،الاحماض الامينية، هضم البروتين ؛ العوامل المضادة للتغذية والتقييم الحسي.

Everyday great amounts of food are produced, processed, transported by the food industry and consumed by us and these activities have direct impact on our health and the environment. The current food system has started causing strain on the Earth's natural resources and that is why sustainable food production systems are needed. This review article discusses the need for sustainable diets by exploring the interactions between the food industry, nutrition, health and the environment, which are strongly interconnected. The most common environmental issues in the food industry are related to food processing loss, food wastage and packaging; energy efficiency; transportation of foods; water consumption and waste management. Among the foods produced and processed, meat and meat products have the greatest environmental impact followed by the dairy products. Our eating patterns impact the environment, but the environment can impact dietary choices as well. The foods and drinks we consume may also affect our health. A healthy and sustainable diet would minimise the consumption of energy-dense and highly processed and packaged foods, include less animal-derived foods and more plant-based foods and encourage people not to exceed the recommended daily energy intake. Sustainable diets contribute to food and nutrition security, have low environmental impacts and promote healthy life for present and future generations. There is an urgent need to develop and promote strategies for sustainable diets; and governments, United Nations agencies, civil society, research organisations and the food industry should work together in achieving this.

How pulse electric field treatment affects anti-nutritional factors and plant protein digestibility: A concise review

Simple SummaryBecause dogs are omnivores and cats are obligate carnivores, it is of value to pet owners and nutritionists to know how well they digest protein from plants and animals. This study evaluated the difference in digestibility using plant and animal protein sources, which are used in the pet food industry. These plant and animal sources resulted in protein digestibility that met or exceeded that expected for dogs and cats. As previously shown, cats had superior protein digestibility as compared to dogs. Regarding the difference in digestibility between the proteins from plants or animals—as a class, there was no difference between plant and animal protein in dogs. However, in cats, the protein from plants was more highly digested than animal protein.This retrospective study used 226 dogs and 296 cats to evaluate whether protein absorption was influenced by species, and within species, what influence increasing the percentage of total dietary protein, as plant protein, had on protein absorption. Each food was evaluated by at least one study with a minimum of six dogs or cats assigned to each study. Dietary inclusion of animal and plant based protein was calculated by analysis of ingredients and dietary inclusion level. Both dogs and cats were able to digest dietary plant protein, with protein digestibility in dogs unchanged as plant protein increased, while in cats, eating dry food, an increase in plant protein, was associated with increased protein digestibility. When individual plant high-concentration protein sources (excluding the protein from whole grains) were evaluated (i.e., soybean meal, soybean protein isolate, corn gluten meal, and rice protein concentrate) there was no response to increasing protein from these sources in the dog. In the cat, there was a significant positive effect on protein digestibility associated with an increasing concentration of corn gluten meal. In summary, as the dietary protein shifted from striated muscle and other animal proteins to plant based proteins, there was no effect in the dog, while in cats, increasing dietary plant protein was associated with increasing protein digestibility (5.5% increase at 50% protein from plants in dry cat food). Protein digestibility of food in dogs and cats is similar, if not enhanced, when the plant protein sources are concentrated from soybeans (soybean isolate, soybean meal), corn (corn gluten meal), or rice (rice protein concentrate).

Sustainable food systems are often defined by greenhouse gases, land use, effects on biodiversity, and water use. However, this approach does not recognize the reason food is produced—the provision of nutrients. Recently, the relationship between diets and sustainability has been recognized. Most accepted models of ‘sustainable diets’ focus on four domains: public health, the environment, food affordability, and cultural relevance. Aligned with the FAO’s perspective, truly sustainable diets comprise foods that are affordable, nutritious, developed with ingredients produced in an environmentally friendly manner, and consumer preferred. Identifying solutions to address all four domains simultaneously remains a challenge. Furthermore, the recent pandemic exposed the fragility of the food supply when food accessibility and affordability became primary concerns. There have been increasing calls for more nutrient-dense and sustainable foods, but scant recognition of the consumer’s role in adopting and integrating these foods into their diet. Dietary recommendations promoting sustainable themes often overlook how and why people eat what they do. Taste, cost, and health motivate consumer food purchase and the food system must address those considerations. Sustainable foods are perceived to be expensive, thus marginalizing acceptance by the people, which is needed for broad adoption into diets for impactful change. Transformational change is needed in food systems and supply chains to address the complex issues related to sustainability, taste, and cost. An emerging movement called regenerative agriculture (a holistic, nature-based approach to farming) provides a pathway to delivering sustainable foods at an affordable cost to consumers. A broad coalition among academia, government, and the food industry can help to ensure that the food supply concurrently prioritizes sustainability and nutrient density in the framework of consumer-preferred foods. The coalition can also help to ensure sustainable diets are broadly adopted by consumers. This commentary will focus on the challenges and opportunities for the food industry and partners to deliver a sustainable supply of nutrient-dense foods while meeting consumer expectations.

Soybean meal (SBM) is a significant source of protein for poultry due to its high concentration of protein and amino acids profile. The primary objective of SBM processing is the reduction and deactivation of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) to enhance nutrient digestibility. However, eliminating ANFs does not necessarily correlate with increased protein and amino acid content. Several processing methods, such as soaking, cooking, and commercial techniques, improve SBM protein digestibility. To sustain feeding qualities, soybeans must undergo heating to remove inherent chemicals that interfere with poultry digestion. However, both under and over-processing can impair meal digestibility. Extrusion heating significantly contributes to protein and starch digestibility while reducing certain ANFs. Thermomechanical and enzyme-assisted procedures reduce heat-resistant proteins more efficiently than extraction methods, producing soy protein concentrate (SPC) and fermentation. These techniques reduce ANFs in SBM, activating digestive enzymes and alleviating digestive tract pressure, leading to decreased endogenous protein deficits. Exogenous enzyme supplementation is a biotechnological approach for enhancing the nutritional content of SBM and certain other protein-rich products. However, different processing methods not only affect protein digestibility but also impact poultry production, gastrointestinal health, and the environment due to higher nitrogen excrement. Ammonia (NH 3 ) emissions are a significant environmental concern in chicken farming, resulting from uric acid production during protein consumption. It has a negative impact on the environment and the health of birds/humans. This review investigates the impact of several processing techniques on the digestibility of SBM protein and the reduction of N 2 regarding one health concept. Future research should focus on identifying optimal processing methods maximizing protein digestibility while minimizing environmental nitrogen impacts.