Researchers in the Preventative Health Flagship are designing foods that are more satisfying and better for people's health.
Why study food structure?
In Australia (and many other countries) an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, combined with easy access to energy-dense food, is an important contributor to obesity.
The food industry has already developed a wide range of low-energy foods, but there are some problems associated with these:
Designing foods which taste appealing but are more satisfying or which have better health markers associated with them could lead to a decrease in obesity and related diseases.
What is CSIRO doing?
Researchers in the Preventative Health Flagship are working on fat emulsions which are digested more slowly in the body.
Our goal is to understand the molecular mechanisms by which food stucture impacts on gut function and physiology, with a specific view to influencing the biochemical pathways that regulate metabolism and satiety.
Recent work has included:
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in vitro (laboratory) testing to find out how the emulsions are likely to behave when consumed
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clinical trials to confirm how our designed emulsions are digested in human volunteers
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demonstrating that fat structure can be controlled and determining how it affects digestion and hormonal response when consumed by humans.
In addition, researchers in the Food Futures Flagship's Designed Food and Ingredients team are tailoring raw ingredients to develop healthier foods that meet consumer expectations and demands.
Read more about the Preventative Health Flagship's work in obesity
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