O projektu / About the project

S porastom svijesti potrošača o važnosti uravnotežene prehrane i funkcionalne hrane, raste i potražnja za proizvodima koji osim osnovne nutritivne vrijednosti pružaju dodatne zdravstvene koristi. Istovremeno, prehrambena industrija stvara znatne količine nusproizvoda (uljne pogače, tropovi, ljuske, kore i dr.) koji su često zanemareni, iako predstavljaju vrijedan izvor bioaktivnih spojeva, osobito fenolnih komponenti. Cilj ovog projekta je razviti funkcionalne pekarske i mliječne proizvode obogaćene prirodnim biljnim dodacima i prehrambenim nusproizvodima. Također, projekt će razviti i validirati protokole za in-vitro određivanje biodostupnosti bioaktivnih spojeva, čime se doprinosi razvoju metodologije u području funkcionalne hrane. Kroz procjenu učinaka razvijenih proizvoda na odabrane zdravstvene biomarkere dodatno će se potvrditi njihova funkcionalna vrijednost. Kroz interdisciplinarni pristup, projekt kombinira znanja iz područja prehrambene tehnologije, biotehnologije i nutricionizma. Rezultat će biti razvijeni inovativni funkcionalni proizvodi (kruh i mliječni proizvod) s poboljšanim nutritivnim i senzorskim karakteristikama, što je konkretni doprinos kružnom gospodarstvu kroz iskorištavanje prehrambenih ostataka. Projekt također aktivno uključuje mlade istraživače i studente, koji će sudjelovati u istraživačkim aktivnostima, čime se dodatno jača kapacitet za budući znanstveni i stručni rad. Dugoročno, rezultati projekta mogu doprinijeti razvoju održivih prehrambenih rješenja s pozitivnim zdravstvenim učinkom i komercijalnim potencijalom. With the growing awareness among consumers regarding the importance of a balanced diet and functional foods, the demand for food that goes beyond basic nutritional value and possesses additional health benefits is also on the rise. At the same time, the food industry generates a significant number of by-products, such as oilseed press-cakes, pomaces, shells, and peels, which are mostly neglected, even though they represent a rich source of bioactive compounds, especially phenolic components. The aim of this project is to develop functional bakery and dairy products fortified with natural plant-based additives and food by-products. The development and validation of protocols for in vitro bioavailability testing will be conducted, which represents a contribution to the development of methodology in the field of functional food. Furthermore, the assessment of the developed products on selected health biomarkers will further contribute to confirming the functional value of these innovative products. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the project integrates knowledge from the food industry, biotechnology, and the nutrition field, it provides an interdisciplinary approach. The expected outcomes include the creation of innovative functional products (bread and dairy products) with enhanced nutritive and sensory characteristics, following the circular economy principles through food by-products valorization. The project also actively involves young researchers and students who will participate in the research activities, thereby further strengthening the capacity of future scientific and professional work. In the long term, the results of this project may contribute to the development of sustainable food solutions with positive health benefits and commercial potential.