Dr. Gail Bornhorst, University of California, Davis, presented “Current global initiatives in understanding food digestion for better food product design” on 20 September 2016. This seminar has been approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration for 1.0 Continuing Professional Education Unit (CEU).*
This seminar is part of the Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition (IFSN) Seminar Series. These monthly seminars aim to disseminate new knowledge; engage with partners and stakeholders; and inspire the next generation of food safety and nutrition experts. For full information on the series, visit the seminar webpage.
Seminar Series
On a global scale, the number of non-communicable diseases continues to rise. Simultaneously, links between dietary patterns and health or disease state have been strengthened, increasing consumer awareness of the functional properties of the foods they consume. As such, there is an increasing need for a fundamental understanding of the phenomena that occur during food digestion, which will be intrinsically linked to food functional properties. Food digestion is a complex process that involves physical breakdown, chemical hydrolysis, and fermentation processes. Control of these processes is governed by both food properties and physiological responses, such as enzyme secretions and hormonal controls. In addition, food digestion processes occur over a large variety of interrelated length scales ranging from gastric flow and mixing (mm-cm scale) to enzyme-mediated reactions (nm scale). Current research on food digestion involves use of different types of in vitro model systems, ranging from static incubations to dynamic, mechanical models. In addition, these models are being coupled with and correlated to in vivo systems in animals and humans. Finally, in silico, or computational models are being developed to understand the fundamental fluid and particle properties to eventually be used as predictive tools for food breakdown processes. The knowledge gained from use of in vitro, in vivo, and in silico models gives new insight into the role of food properties in relation to health outcomes and food functional properties. To join the webinar, go to the Adobe Connect Seminar.
*Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) or Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered (NDTRs) who attend this seminar and wish to receive the CEU certificate please e-mail Mallory M. Koenings