Development of food products for special medical purposes = Īpašiem medicīniskiem nolūkiem paredzētas pārtikas izstrāde
Authors:   ,   Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, Ozola Liene 
Published: July 2021

The daily use of nutritious products is essential for optimal body function. This is particularly important for young children, seniors and people with disabilities, as they are considered to be the most vulnerable groups. Health status, age, human social and psychological condition are just some of the factors that determine the choice of specific forms of nutritional therapies to optimally promote recovery, the body's overall energy recovery and, as far as possible, physiological functions and improve the quality of life. The research work of the doctoral thesis “Development of food products for special medical purposes” was performed from November 2016 till April 2021. The research was performed in the laboratories of the Faculty of Food Technology of the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies, in the laboratory of the Institute of Biology of University of Latvia, in the laboratory of FANEKS Ltd., in the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment, BIOR and Natural food developer KEEFA Ltd. The aim of the dissertation is to develop food products from plant and animal origin raw materials for people with special dietary needs. Research hypothesis: using natural plant and animal origin raw materials, it is possible to create products that provide the recommended nutrients in food for special medical purposes. Based on the aim of the work and the proposed research hypothesis, the following research tasks should be performed: 1.to develop recipes for enteral tube feed products on the basis of plant and animal raw materials; 2.to develop recipes for texture modified products on the basis of plant and animal raw materials; 3.to develop the production technology of the newly created products, which would ensure the preservation of their nutritional value as much as possible; 4.examine and evaluate the impact of selected technologies on product quality and shelf life; 5.to evaluate the in vitro digestibility of the developed texture modified products. The doctoral thesis consists of three chapters. Chapter 1 provides information on the basic principles and commercially available products for special medical purposes, on bioavailability, the role of different nutrients, the biochemical composition of fruits and vegetables and the characteristics of the processing technologies used in the study. Chapter 2 describes the raw materials used in the thesis, the structure of experiments, the methods of analysis. Chapter 3 provides a summary of the results obtained in the study and a discussion to achieve the conclusions according to the hypothesis and the tasks. The chapter describes the development of recipes and technologies for the preparation of enteral tube feed products, assessing the impact of high-pressure and vacuum cooking on the developed product quality if fresh raw materials and semi-finished products are used. The evaluation of pasteurisation and sterilisation as a secondary processing step to obtain a safe product. The results of the development of texture modified products in the laboratory and industrial environment, the evaluation of the nutrients in newly developed products and the evaluation of the digestibility of industrially prepared products are summarised. Novelty of the work: •for the first time in Latvia, research has been conducted on the development of enteral tube feed products from plant and animal raw materials; •for the first time in Latvia, research has been carried out on the development of texture modified foods from plant and animal raw materials and the transfer of these products to industrial production. Economic significance of work: •the production of products for special medical purposes in Latvia could help to develop industry and agriculture, providing new jobs and stimulating the economy; •help alleviate the situation in the country regarding the shortage of medical and nursing staff and the provision of special meals in medical and care institutions; •expand the range of products available on the Latvian market with regionally known flavours, thus also improving the quality of life of patients. The doctoral thesis is written in Latvian and its volume is 120 pages, including 39 tables, 38 figures and 8 appendices. For the research 150 information sources have been analysed. The development of the dissertation was co-financed from the following projects. •Research program ‘Scientific Capacity Building LLU’ project A05-06 ‘Development of special dietary foods with high bioavailability’. •European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability Working Group Cooperation Project No 18-00-A01612-000006 ‘Development of medicinal food for patients of malnutrition/dysphagia, creating new, nationally significant product with a high added value’.