Nutritional optimisation with plant based proteins

This experiment is based on the second challenge; healthy food is accessible and promoted in order to support personal
health & lifestyle while contributing to the preservation of the environment.

The aim of this experiment is to offer meals that are enriched with plant-based proteins to vulnerable seniors.
In that way, we hope to enhance their health, their muscles and overall protein-intake without forcing them to eat huge amounts of food. By implementing it in dishes or meals they already know, it will be received more easily.

It addresses the Cities2030 key objective ‘secure healthy and sustainable food’.
It covers thematics like consumption, livelihood, inclusion & equity.

Motivation:
The motivation is multifaceted. Protein is an essential nutrient that plays a crucial role in maintaining muscle mass, supporting immune function, and promoting overall health and well-being, particularly in older adults. However, vulnerable elderly individuals,
such as those residing in long-term care facilities or experiencing health issues, may be at risk of inadequate protein intake due to various factors, including poor appetite, difficulty with chewing or swallowing, or limited access to protein-rich foods. By increasing protein intake in their meals, the experiment aims to address these challenges and improve the nutritional status and health outcomes of vulnerable elderly individuals.

There are several times scientific demonstrated that the older population needs more proteins in their diet. This under others to preserve their muscle mass and quality to pre-emptively respond to malnutrition and sarcopenia. In this first experiment, specific components of the hot meal, produced by Ruddersstove, were provided with vegetable proteins.

• BEFORE: Within ruddersstove's meal range, the largest protein sources were found to be of animal origin
• AFTER: Analysis of the soups and mashed potatoes within the offer. Addition of vegetable protein sources soy and lupine to the mashed potatoes. So they met the nutrition claim: protein-enriched. Taste tests to analyse the quality after addition of the protein sources.
• VERIFICATION: Addition of vegetable proteins, which are currently on the market, had an influence on the taste, color and structure of the mash. Further research and innovation is needed to integrate vegetable proteins within meal components
   

Rationale:

The rationale for conducting this experiment is based on scientific evidence that supports the importance of adequate protein intake for the health and well-being of older adults. Studies have shown that protein intake plays a critical role in maintaining muscle mass, strength, and function, which are essential for activities of daily living, mobility, and overall quality of life in older adults. Additionally, protein intake has been linked to improved immune function, wound healing, and reduced risk of falls and fractures in elderly individuals. By increasing protein intake in meals, the experiment aims to provide the necessary nutrients to support the health and functional abilities of vulnerable elderly individuals.

Objectives:

The objectives of the experiment may include:

1.  Increasing protein intake: The primary objective of the experiment is to increase the protein intake of vulnerable elderly individuals by modifying their meals. This may involve adding protein-rich foods, such as lean meats, dairy products, legumes, or fortified foods, to their meals to ensure they are receiving adequate protein for their needs.
2. Improving nutritional status: Another objective of the experiment is to improve the nutritional status of vulnerable elderly individuals by increasing their protein intake. This may involve measuring changes in their body weight, body composition, serum protein levels, or other relevant nutritional markers to assess the impact of increased protein intake on their overall nutritional status.
3.  Enhancing muscle health: The experiment may aim to improve muscle health in vulnerable elderly individuals by increasing protein intake. This could involve assessing changes in muscle strength, muscle mass, or functional abilities, such as grip strength or gait speed, to determine the impact of increased protein intake on muscle health.
4.  Assessing acceptability and feasibility: The experiment may also aim to assess the acceptability and feasibility of increasing protein intake in meals for vulnerable elderly individuals. This could involve collecting feedback from participants, caregivers, or healthcare providers to determine their satisfaction with the modified meals, any challenges encountered, and potential barriers to implementation.

KPIs (Key Performance Indicators):

The KPIs for this experiment may include:

1. Protein intake: The primary KPI would be the increase in protein intake in meals for vulnerable elderly individuals, measured as the change in grams of protein consumed per meal or per day.
2. Nutritional status: Changes in nutritional status, such as changes in body weight, body composition, or serum protein levels, could serve as KPIs to assess the impact of increased protein intake on overall nutritional status.
3. Muscle health: Changes in muscle strength, muscle mass, or functional abilities, such as grip strength or gait speed, could serve as KPIs to evaluate the impact of increased protein intake on muscle health.
4. Acceptability and feasibility: Feedback from participants, caregivers, or healthcare providers on the acceptability and feasibility of increased protein intake in meals could serve as KPIs to assess the success of the intervention and identify any potential barriers or challenges.

Target Group:

The target group for this experiment would be vulnerable elderly individuals who are at risk of inadequate protein intake due to factors such as poor appetite, difficulty with chewing or swallowing, or limited access to protein-rich foods. This could include all elderly in Bruges, who are getting the meals of Ruddersstove, but for this experiment, we will narrow it down to a smaller group so we can monitor and question them better.

Main concept and hypothesis:
In this experiment, we want to increase the protein intake for the elderly, but with as little impact for the end-user as possible. Therefore, we need to examine the possibilities, mapping the current situation, run a lot of tests and evaluate the results.

Methodology:

We bring different actors together; researchers from VIVES, dietitists from Ruddersstove, cooks from Ruddersstove, suppliers, facilitators from the community service centers and eventually the target group.
We perform a literal study and market research. We map the current state, which products contain how much nutritional value and which products are the best to adjust.
What is available in the market to provide that enrichment?...
Together with the cooks we set up some internal testings with the different products in different measurements
Based on the results from those testings we set up a plan to test the new enriched product with our targetgroup. We divide the group in a tasting panel, a blind testing panel and control group
We formulate a communication plan
Based on the results we start to implement the optimised meals in the normal production of Ruddersstove.

Tasks and outcomes, organisation, responsibilities

Organise meetings with dietists and VIVES    BP        VIVES+RS
Setup the steering committee            BP +AD        VIVES+RS
Study & market search                BP+AD        VIVES
Testing internal                    FT+ID+COOKS    RS
Set up methodology                BP+AD        VIVES
Communication    to elderly            BP+AD+AF    VIVES+RS
Implementation                    FT+ID        RS
Succession management            BP+AD        VIVES
Making the query for the testing evaluation    BP+AD+AF    VIVES+RS
Collect and process all the data & results    BP+AD+AF    VIVES+RS
Evaluation                    BP+AD+AF    VIVES+RS
Communication                    BP+AD+AF    VIVES+RS+BRU

Resources, person months, other costs

• worktime partners
• worktime cooks
• samples from suppliers for testing
• production costs
•  

Investments

No investments needed

Which questions needs answers? 
What is the nutritional value from the products now
How much protein can we add without significant change of taste
Which proteins can we add in which products
Does it affect the dining experience of the user
Does it answer the 4 KPI’s

What is monitored? 
The nutritional value
The tasting experience of the user.
The overall satisfaction of the meal

How is it monitored?
Mostly through questionnaire

What is data? 
Nutritional value - increasement
Food score / satisfaction of the meal / hunger feeling / user findings

Results:

Ruddersstove is in charge of preparing and delivering hot meals to homes and local service centers. After a thorough examination, it was decided to enhance the starch component, 'mashed potatoes', with vegetable proteins in these hot meals. Subsequent taste tests were conducted to assess the impact on flavor, color, thickness, texture, and aroma.

Before the mash could be evaluated by the target group, researchers from VIVES (P4) designed a test plan in the initial phase. This plan took into consideration nutritional data, a literature review, and information from ongoing research projects. In the second phase, pilot tests were conducted at Ruddersstove to determine how adding the plant protein source affected various aspects of the mash, including (1) taste, (2) colour, (3) aroma, (4) consistency, and (5) overall observations. This process helped identify the optimal concentration for both protein content and the factors mentioned earlier. For every 100 grams of a soy-based vegetable protein source, 44.75 grams of protein were provided. Previous research indicated that a maximum dosage of 5% (grams of protein per 100 grams of mash) was needed to prevent a significant alteration to the mash itself. In the initial test design, additions of 2.5%, 4%, 5%, and 6% were tested to assess their impact on two different mashs: vegetable mash and a standard mash.

Ruddersstove organizes weekly meal plans, and the pilot study was conducted using the menu in April 2023, aligning with seasonal changes. The meals were prepared in advance, and it was important to closely monitor the production process. For instance, the mash was prepared and regenerated several days ahead of consumption. The target group received the meal on the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th day after production. In this experiment, the standard procedure was followed for both the standard mash and the broccoli mash enriched with protein by adding the vegetable product SOYPRO 50. The addition of SOYPRO50 had a significant impact on the taste of the standard mash, but no added value was demonstrated in terms of nutritional claims. Therefore, this addition was not further tested in the continuation of the experiment. In the case of broccoli mash, adding 4% or more had an extremely pronounced effect on the taste. The impact of 2.5% was deemed acceptable, and the vegetable mash with this concentration was included in the ongoing experiment.

Following discussions, it was decided to test another seasonal vegetable mash in a second test design, incorporating lower percentages of SOYPRO: 0%, 1%, 1.7%, 2%, and 2.5%. These concentrations were deemed sufficient to meet the claims of being a protein source or enriched in protein. In the second test, significant effects on taste, texture, and aroma were observed. In the third phase, a second plant-based protein, lupine, was introduced. The test design mirrored the approach used in the second phase. While the addition of lupine had a lesser impact on taste, it significantly affected aroma, texture, and thickness. Given these effects on various components, it was decided not to implement this addition in practice, as it would significantly impact the quality of the meals in a sustainable manner.

A total of 20 participants (12 female and 8 male) evaluated the different mashed potato variations. Due to quality concerns, the plant-based mash was not tested by the target elderly population. It was determined that the quality of available plant-based protein sources within the food system must be optimized before they can be integrated into specific meal components.
 

Conclusions:

The primary objective of this initial experiment was to assess the feasibility of enhancing the meals provided by Ruddersstove with existing plant-based protein sources. Both soy and lupine proteins were incorporated into the puree offered by Ruddersstove. Previous studies had indicated that these plant-based protein sources had the least pronounced impact on the overall quality of meal components. Initially, the experiment aimed to introduce the enriched puree to the target demographic, specifically the elderly population, within two distinct community centres. However, following internal taste tests involving 20 participants, it became evident that the effect on the quality of the puree was too significant. The enriched puree was deemed to fall short of the necessary quality standards for distribution to the intended audience. The detailed outcomes of the taste tests can be found in the linked report. The success rate of this initial experiment is considered to be low, given the impracticality of implementation. Nevertheless, the experiment provides a foundation for further refinement of current plant-based protein sources. Within the Food Systems Development (FSD) initiative led by P3 City of Bruges, alongside P4 Vives and P6 Inagro, there is an ongoing focus on advancing the protein shift. A key aspect of this endeavour involves exploring the utilization of plant-based protein sources in large-scale kitchen settings, with active involvement from a diverse range of stakeholders