Funded by The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) - Project reference number:15/F/602

Abstract

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder and has an estimated global prevalence of 10-20% of the general population and constitutes the most common cause of gastroenterology referral. IBS symptoms are triggered by the consumption of the poorly absorbed fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs) and insoluble fibre. On reaching the distal small intestine and colon, FODMAPS and insoluble fibre increase the osmotic pressure in the large-intestinal lumen and provide substrates for bacterial fermentation, with consequent gas production, abdominal distension and abdominal pain or discomfort. This condition reduces considerably the patients’ quality of life. Sixty-two percent of IBS patients either limited or excluded certain food items from their daily diet and of these 12% were at risk of long-term nutritional deficiencies. In patients with IBS, a diet low in-FODMAPs effectively reduced functional gastrointestinal symptoms. This high-quality evidence supports its use as a first-line therapy. FODMAPs occur in a wide range of foods, including wheat/rye, and people in numerous countries (including Ireland) rely on bread and wheat products (e.g. bread and pasta), for a substantial part of their diet. Nowadays, in Ireland, there are no low-FODMAP food products available on the market and IBS sufferers are forced to follow FODMAP elimination diet by excluding a wide range of foods form their diet. Low-FODMAP diet should not limit IBS suffers’ life, it should limit their pain and discomfort, such that they can lead a normal (pain-free) life. TALENT project will develop cereal-based low-FODMAP food products by providing effective technological solutions using enzymatic/malting and fermentation processes with remarkable reductions on FODMAPs and with a concomitant improvement of their nutritional qualities. A strong participation of food industry partners and support associations in this project will help contribute to the social feasibility and economic viability of the strategies developed.