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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - ProteinPlus (Let\'s give the world appetite for health)

Teaser

Summary

Disease-related malnutrition affects 33 million Europeans and a burden of 170bnâ‚¬ for the EU. Oral Nutritional Supplements (ONS) are specially formulated foods designed to meet patientsâ€™ nutritional deficiencies during illness. However, large portion sizes and bad taste in ONS induce very low levels of treatment compliance (50%), dramatically limiting effectiveness. Manufacturers face a technological barrier that prevents them from increasing protein density and thus reducing volume.

The aim of the project is to bring to the market a disruptive hyperproteinic ingredient â€“ Protein Plus - for ONS manufacturers, that overcomes this technology gap. The Protein Plus project therefore involves applying our technical know-how to create a disruptive new ingredient for the medical food market - providing the opportunity to create high-value innovation from our technology.

The project has two major aims: developing the Protein Plus ingredient and obtaining scientific proof of its effectiveness. The project is composed 4 major work packages:
- Finalizing the Protein Plus ingredient in the lab (WP1)
- Creating a generic ONS product containing Protein Plus that can be used during an observational study (WP2)
- Validating the Protein Plus production chain at an industrial level (WP3)
- Implementing the observational study (WP4).
WPs 5 & 6 are dedicated to project management and ethics management respectively.

Work performed

The project commenced on the 1st September 2016 and significant progress has been made during the first three reporting periods. The project is now in its final phase and will conclude in August 2020.

We have successfully developed a finalized process, machine and formula for the production of our Protein Plus ingredient in the lab, meaning that WP1 is fully complete. We have undertaken most of the necessary work to produce a hyper-proteinated drink containing the Protein Plus ingredient, that can be used during the observational study (WP2). We simply need to produce the final batches, ready for the launch of the study in the final months of the project. During the third reporting period, we focused on the development of the industrial production line (WP3), successfully developing an environment for the production of the ingredient, hyper-proteinated drink, heat treatment and sterile packaging. Microbiological tests are now being implemented as part of the finalization of this WP. The observational study (WP4) is ready for launch during the final project period and, to provide further scientific proof of the effectiveness of our ingredient, we have also worked on an in-vitro digester that can validate the bioavailability of our ingredient during digestion.

Throughout the project, we have developed strong relationships with our target clients: ONS suppliers (WP5). In the final project period, we will be able to present samples of a hyper-proteinated drink containing our ingredient and concrete proof of effectiveness from the digester and observational study â€“ thus maximizing our chance of commercial success and rapid market uptake.

Final results

Work on WP1, WP2 & WP3 has demonstrated that, with the Protein Plus ingredient, we can achieve a palatable protein content that is much higher than current market standards for ONS. This will make it possible to improve the nutritional content of ONS, while providing a more compact product that is easier for a patient to consume. The expected impact of the project is progressing through continued contact with ONS manufacturers, who demonstrate clear interest in the project results.