iNNovaHealth Foodlabs is a laboratory for nutritional research and development of innovative functional foods resulting in increasing competitiveness in the agri-food sector and the food industry. We are aiming in the accurate qualitative and quantitative identification of the ingredients of any liquid or solid food, of plant or animal origin, even food supplements, and thus in the creation of their unique “molecular identity”.
Creation of a laboratory for nutritional research and development of innovative foods with the consequence of increasing competitiveness in the agri-food sector and the food industry.
iNNovaHealth Foodlabs specializes in cutting-edge areas of expertise, including advanced extraction methodologies, encapsulation of bioactive compounds, personalized nutrition solutions, and innovative food technology techniques.
Trophometry, a new branch of food and nutrition science, is the set of methods used to study a food and the identification of all proteins, peptides, metabolites, lipids and all other groups of bioactive molecules it contains.
Trophometry can lead to the creation of microstructures of food that will allow their adaptation and absorption by the human body at a higher personal level, depending on the nutritional requirements of each individual to achieve a personalized nutrition with maximum efficiency, quality and identity but also having a strong scientific signature and validity.
The particular progress of cutting-edge holistic technologies as well as their applicability in food technology provide for the first time the opportunity for precise qualitative and quantitative determination of the components of any liquid or solid food, of vegetable or animal origin, even nutritional supplements, and thus to create their unique “molecular identity”. Already this progress and its applications have led to the development of a new branch of food and nutrition science, trophometry, the set of methods used to study a food and identify all of its proteins, peptides, of metabolites, lipids and all other groups of bioactive molecules it contains
At the same time, it is possible to precisely identify the products of higher quality with beneficial actions for human health, the geographical origin of each and which of them can have the “stamp” of the functional food, i.e. that which, beyond its natural nutritional value contains additional bioactive ingredients (endogenous or additives of natural origin), which benefit the body and its specific functions, reducing at the same time the possibility of chronic diseases.
Combined, all these molecules create the trophic footprint of each food, which is unique, as is the case with the genetic profile of each person. Trophometry in combination with 3D printing can lead to the creation of food micro-structures that will allow adaptation and absorption by the human body on a highly personal level, depending on the nutritional requirements of each individual in order to achieve personalized nutrition with maximum effectiveness but also quality identity having a strong scientific signature and validity.
All of the above are expected very soon to break new ground in the food industry as they will offer a valid scientific seal of identity and quality to every product that reaches the table of consumers around the world. In addition, they will also provide added value to the producer, who is the initial link in the production chain of a food product since he is the one who provides the raw material, which will now be able to be characterized and identified, making the Greek agri-food chain competitive on a global level . In addition, in the long run, the national economy will be strengthened through the production of excellent, competitive products.
Develops functional-food concepts, formulations and processing routes that connect scientific evidence with practical, market-oriented products.
Builds the digital workflows, data structures and monitoring tools that support research, traceability and informed decision-making.
Applies analytical chemistry to extract, separate, identify and quantify food components, bioactive compounds and functional ingredients.
Connects molecular and microbiological methods with food identity, authenticity, biological activity, quality and safety.
The extraction method Pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE)] is one of the most modern and promising techniques in the extraction of bioactive substances. The PHWE method is based on using water at high pressure and sometimes at a temperature higher than the boiling temperature of water at that pressure. The advantage of this method is based on the fact that under these conditions, the physical and chemical properties of water change dramatically and for example the dielectric constant of water changes from 80 at room temperature (25°C) to 33 at 200°C, which is close to that of organic solvents such as methanol. Furthermore, both the surface tension and the viscosity of the extractant decrease with increasing temperature while the diffusivity increases thereby promoting extraction both in efficiency and speed. In addition, the solubility parameter of the various bioactive substances in water is modified with temperature and the selectivity of the extraction of the various substances is altered. The use of a combination of high pressure and temperature ensures a faster extraction which can be completed in as little as 20 min instead of 10‐48 h and using a much smaller amount of solvent.
Bioactive substances are usually sensitive and deteriorate if not encapsulated in a suitable excipient for use in food, cosmetics, dietary supplements and/or other uses. The answer to this problem is the encapsulation of the active substance of the extract in a suitable excipient such as maltodextrin, various cyclodextrins, whey protein, lecithin, starch and modified starch, etc. In addition, encapsulation causes masking of unpleasant odors and color as well as modifying the solubility of initially insoluble materials. The production of an encapsulated derivative from an extract enriched by industrial chromatography is based on mixing the extract with a solid excipient and creating a solution with a solids content of 15% to up to 60%. This solution then undergoes particle size reduction at the micro- (>1 µm) or even nano- (<100 nm) level using an ultrasonic homogenizer or a high-pressure homogenizer and is then converted into a stabilized powder using freeze drying or spray drying, which is better preserved than the liquid enriched extract.
Today, in addition to the four main types of -omics analyzes (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics), a variety of sub-types of -omics analyses such as epigenomics, lipidomics, nosomics etc. have been developed. Through the use of these of high-performance holistic technologies, the possibility of connecting nutritional components, food, nutrition, health and human disease at a personalized level is now possible. This broad vision, however, needs not only the application of advanced holistic technologies that are already developed and constantly being improved but above all the ability to approach the question from a different point of view, that of food. In this context the term “foodomics” was developed to describe the integrated approach to food and nutrition through holistic high-throughput technologies to exploit food science in light of improving human nutrition and thus health. It is a new approach that studies food and nutrition as a whole with their nutritional value to achieve the main goal of optimizing human health and well-being.
Nutritional analysis of food based on the requirements of the legislation but also more detailed analyses such as vitamin profiles, lipids, etc. Few things in life are more important than the food we consume. Today, the food supply is more diverse but also more processed than ever. To ensure food safety and nutritional quality, many countries have established regulations that set acceptable levels for individual chemical additives, residues and impurities in food products. Other regulations require that ingredients related to their nutritional content, such as unsaturated and saturated fat, be listed on food packaging. In this direction, food manufacturers and processors themselves must be able to assess the quality of the food product. Meeting all these requirements is the function of food analysis.
iNNovaHealth Foodlabs is a laboratory for nutritional research and development of innovative functional foods resulting in increasing competitiveness in the agri-food sector and the food industry.
iNNovaHealth Foodlabs is a laboratory for nutritional research and development of innovative functional foods resulting in increasing competitiveness in the agri-food sector and the food industry.
Which will contribute substantially to the production of new knowledge based on modern principles of quality assurance of existing and new food products in order to investigate their potential role in the health and quality of life of modern human.
An area in which new knowledge will be applied to improve the quality and safety of existing and new food products on a semi-industrial- industrial scale leading to market.
Which will include systemic work that is either based on existing knowledge and aims to prepare for the production of new products, services, or to improve existing ones.
This process will develop new food products of extended-shelf life, nutritional added value and scientifically proven health benefits.
Few things in life are more important than the food we consume. Today, the food supply is more diverse but also more processed than ever. To ensure food safety and nutritional quality, many countries have established regulations that set acceptable levels for individual chemical additives, residues and impurities in food products. Other regulations require that ingredients related to their nutritional content, such as unsaturated and saturated fat, be listed on food packaging. In this direction, food manufacturers and processors themselves must be able to assess the quality of the food product. Meeting all these requirements is the function of food analysis.
For the production of citrus juice (such as orange, mandarin, lemon), fresh fruits are sourced from selected farms of local producers located in the nearby region of Achaia. The process begins with washing the fresh fruits with tap water to remove any dust or residues. The fruits are then placed in the juicer, which consists of a triple-unit block to extract their juice. The produced juice is directed to the bottle filler system for automatic filling of bottles with a consistent amount of juice. For enriching the juice with bioactive compounds, which offer significant health benefits, powdered encapsulated mixtures are placed in the bottle’s cap. The caps with the encapsulated mixtures are then placed in an automatic capping machine for the automatic sealing of the juice bottles. The release of the encapsulated powder into the juice occurs simultaneously with the opening of the cap.
Recently, the concept of genetic identity has been introduced in food quality control and it is expected that this information will be included on their label soon in the future. The genetic identity of food involves detecting specific DNA sequences or characteristic genes’ expression unique to each food, using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a common method for amplifying DNA outside living cells. Real-Time PCR, or quantitative PCR (qPCR), is a molecular technique that monitors the amplification of a targeted DNA molecule in real time during its in vitro replication, unlike conventional PCR, which detects the amplified DNA in an end-point analysis.
The principle of PCR relies on selecting appropriate primers, which are short, single-stranded DNA sequences that bind to complementary regions of the target DNA. These primers serve as starting points for DNA synthesis and define the region to be amplified, ensuring only the specific DNA sequence between them is copied. PCR generally consists of three basic steps repeated 25-50 times (cycles) as follows: The first step separates double-stranded DNA into single strands, the second enables primers to bind to the DNA template, and the third allows DNA polymerase to add nucleotides to the primers, building new strands complementary to each original strand.
Two common methods for detecting Real-Time PCR products are: 1) non-specific fluorescent dyes that intercalate with double-stranded DNA, and 2) specific DNA probes labeled with a fluorescent molecule, which bind to their complementary sequence in the PCR product, enhancing specificity. As the reaction progresses, fluorescence increases proportionally to the amount of target DNA detected by the probe. Fluorescent probes with different color labels enable multiplexed assays to monitor multiple DNA sequences in a single tube. During the annealing step, both primers and probes bind to the target DNA. Real-time PCR allows identification of specific amplified DNA by analyzing the characteristic melting temperature of each fragment. Results are obtained by comparing the separation curves of the DNA samples.
Food analysis methods today are mainly based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which has proven to be an optimal technology for the detection and / or quantification of the vast majority of food components (minerals, trace elements, vitamins and more). High-performance liquid chromatography methods use a stepwise approach in which, first, the sample matrix is removed, then the analytes of interest are isolated and then dissolved separately in a chromatographic column. The efficiency of the separation depends, among other things, on the differential interaction of the analytes of interest with both mobile and stationary phases of the chromatographic column. But beyond that, high performance liquid chromatography is the primary technique with a bright future for further development and optimization as the fundamental principle of selecting the analytes of interest, through differential molecular interaction, is based on fundamental changes in almost all classes of their properties and for ‘ this is and will continue to be a rich source of methodological innovation for analytical separation, detection and quantification.
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Email: info@innovahealth-foodlabs.com
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