Research Topic: Nutrition/Product Creation

• Project Status: In Progress
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Lingyun Chen
• Project Dates: March 2022 - February 2024
• Abstract/Summary: A dietary pattern that provides plant protein, dietary fiber and low fat has been shown to decrease the risks of chronic diseases (obesity, cardiovascular disease). The high-quality milling oats in Canada are good sources of both dietary fiber and plant protein. The long-term goal of this research is to develop high quality protein and fiber ingredients from oats for healthy food development.
  The short-term objectives in the next 2 years are to develop technology innovations to combine protein and dietary fiber from oats and pulse to fabricate:
  1. Fat replacers for low fat dairy/dairy substitute product development; and
  2. Texturized vegetable protein products for meat analogue applications.
  This research will provide opportunities to add value to oats and pulses as two major crops in western Canada. The food products high in both plant protein and dietary fiber will provide consumers with healthy choices, and help control the prevalence of obesity in the society and lower the risks of chronic disease.

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Research Topic: Nutrition/Product Creation

• Project Status: Completed
• Abstract/Summary: One of the project’s primary goals is to demonstrate how the unique functionalities of oats can be used to improve existing products or develop innovative products that can be commercialized.

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Research Topic: Nutrition/Product Creation

• Project Status: Completed
• Abstract/Summary: The goal of the project was to promote oats as a healthy food choice, to support nutrition programs in high needs schools and increase awareness of agriculture education programming. A total of 2001 students, 114 staff members and 53 community members participated in the Oats for Breakfast events. View the PDF below for final report.

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Research Topic: Nutrition/Product Creation

• Project Status: Completed
• Abstract/Summary: Oats is the logical choice to development of a non-dairy creamer. Oats have functional/nutrition proteins, they have high levels of beta glucan, and they can be utilized fairly well in beverage applications. Compared to faba bean, canola, and an oat/faba bean protein blend, oat proteins were shown to be the most suitable choice to replace dairy and soy proteins within a coffee creamer.

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Research Topic: Nutrition/Product Creation

• Project Status: In Progress
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Lingyun Chen at the University of Alberta
• Project Dates: March 2021 – Feb 2023
• Abstract/Summary: The 2016-2019 project focused on the development of a ready-to-drink oat-based beverage that is fortified with omegas, vitamin D, and other nutritional ingredients that are essential to the diet of cancer patients.
  
  This project is a continuation of Dr. Chen’s previous work to address industry interest in using fractionated oat ingredients as a source of food product innovation. Research indicates that from a diabetic management perspective, a mere 1% decrease in glucose levels among diabetics can lead to a 21% decrease in death and a 37% decrease in heart attacks. Therefore, developing convenient diabetic-friendly drinks can help reduce the cost of treating people in Canada.
  
  The specific objectives in the next two years are to:
  1. Study competitive advantages of Canadian oats for development of healthy oat milk products; special emphasis will be placed on oat varieties that are high in yield, protein and beta-glucan.
  2. Optimize processing to enhance recovery of oat nutritional components into a nutritionally enhanced oat milk drink with significantly improved protein and beta-glucan content.
  3. Study peptides with anti-diabetic effects from oat protein for functional oat drink development and evaluate the drink hypoglycemic effect through in vivo test in diabetic animal model.

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Research Topic: Nutrition/Product Creation

• Project Status: In Progress
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Sijo Joseph, AAFC
• Project Dates: August 2020 – March 2023
• Abstract/Summary: The objective of this project is to provide scientific evidence of the specific health attributes of oat protein in reducing abnormal levels of cholesterol and glucose, and thereby generate preliminary data for an oat protein health claim petition. Ultimately, the Canadian oat industry could capitalize on new opportunities for marketing efforts with new evidence promoting the health benefits of adding oats in a diet. This information will enable the Canadian oat industry to meet consumer expectations in search of value-added oat products both at home and worldwide.

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Research Topic: Nutrition/Product Creation

• Project Status: In Progress
• Principal Investigators: Dr. Yongfeng Ai, University of Saskatchewan
• Project Dates: January 2019 – February 2023
• Abstract/Summary: This project will address two interlinked but distinct research gaps:
  1) investigate the effects of milling/processing of pulse and cereal flours on their physicochemical functionality in foods.
  2) determine the impact of milling on nutritional benefits of pulses and cereals with a focus on postprandial glycemia and insulinemia.
  The first priority will generate the new knowledge and technologies needed in the food industry to produce high-quality food ingredients with functional versatility, and the latter will support future health claims to promote the consumption of heathy pulse and cereal products.