A young researcher from the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, has received an award for his research into technologies to prevent oxidation of omega-3 fatty acids added to fortified foods. The award – the European Young Lipid Scientist Award – has been presented at a conference in Italy. It is the tenth time it has been awarded and the second time that the receiver is from the National Food Institute.
The National Food Institute conducts research into food fortification with omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils. The institute focuses on developing technologies which ensure that the healthy omega-3 fatty acids are preserved during production and storage of foods, and that the products are tasty.
Since the beginning of the year Postdoc Pedro Jesús García Moreno from the National Food Institute has been working to develop a technology that prevents omega-3 fatty acids added to fortified foods from becoming rancid. Using the method the fatty acids are encapsulated in nano-microstructures to make the fatty acids more stable when they are added to other food products.
The project is carried out in collaboration with the institute's Research Group for Nano-Bio Science.
Pedro Jesús García Moreno in his previous position at the University of Granada carried out research to explore ways of using fish discarded in the production of fish oils and fish protein hydrolysates for human consumption.
He has received the European Young Lipid Scientist Award for his research in both Denmark and Spain. The award was presented to Pedro Jesús García Moreno at a conference in September 2015 organised by Europe’s largest scientific organisation in the field of edible fats, Euro Fed Lipid.
Euro Fed Lipid grants the award to a promising young researcher under the age of 35, who has not previously received awards for their research in this field.
It is the second time a researcher from the National Food Institute has received the award. In 2011 Sabeena Farvin Habebullah received the award for her outstanding work on antioxidants and their ability to protect lipids against oxidation.
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National Food Institute's work with innovative methods for the use of omega-3 fish oils has won other awards.
Read fx the institute’s news story from 27 November 2014 about a business idea where by-products from the fishing industry are transformed into valuable ingredients full of omega-3 fish oils, which last year won the innovation competition at Northern Europe's largest agricultural fair: Development of omega-3-containing ingredients wins innovation award.
You can also read about the institute’s Research Group for Bioactives - Analysis and Application, which – among other things – works to develop new strategies to optimise the stability of vitamins, lipids and proteins and the eating quality of foods.