Determine what influences bioactive constituents in products.

Despite the strong emphasis on diet and health, we see an increasing number of people developing lifestyle-related diseases caused by unbalanced food consumption. The diseases of concern are obesity, osteoporosis, diabetes, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, which all lead to a reduced quality of life and a shorter life span.

Bioactive food components have a wide range of chemical structures, of which many are found in plants. The contents of bioactive components vary in plants based on genome, cultivation methods and post-harvest treatment, as well as with the anatomical part of the plant itself. Many marine species are rich in bioactive components as well.

Scientists at the Norwegian Food Research Institute are attempting to understand how certain components involved in food production influence the behavior of bioactive constituents and their potential for imparting health benefits. The components researchers are studying include vitamin C, flavonoids and phenolic acids, glucosinolates, carotenoids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as natural antioxidants for preventing lipid oxidation. Foods to be tested include raw and processed fruits, berries and vegetables, marine and vegetable oils, and meat rich in unsaturated fat. Research into bioavailability and bioactivity will be performed in collaboration with other scientists involved in studying human nutrition and health.

Processing places an extra stress on foods containing unsaturated fat, since lipid oxidation and rancidity may occur. In meat, lipid oxidation may be prevented by using antioxidants during the feeding of the animal, and when the product is processed. With the emphasis on increasing the population's dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially the omega-3 fatty acids from vegetable or marine sources, there is even a greater need for stabilizing fatty acids and preventing rancidity.

Further information. Grete Skrede, Department of Food Products and Raw Materials, Matforsk AS, Norwegian Food Research Institute, Osloveien 1, N-1430 As Norway; phone: [phone]; fax: [phone]; email: [e-mail].