Sugary and fat-rich foods might offer instant gratification, but they do not fill you up properly. This can lead to cravings for more of the same, often resulting in weight gain. Nutritional foods that enhance both satiation – that point in the meal when you feel full – and post-meal satiety – the feeling that keeps you from eating afterwards – could help people who want to lose weight.

Unfortunately, the nutritional options for weight control have tended to be somewhat limited, with taste and unsubstantiated claims often an issue for consumers and manufacturers alike.

To help, the EU-funded project SATIN is exploring exactly what it is that makes us feel full. SATIN, which ends in December 2016, aims to help food manufacturers develop tasty, nutritious and filling food that can contribute towards weight management.

Understanding our food responses

This food-based approach to weight management has the potential to help Europe address a serious problem of increasing obesity.

“Obese and overweight people are less likely to feel full after eating, partly because of the energy-dense foods they prefer have a reduced impact on gastrointestinal hormone signals that help promote feelings of satisfaction and fullness,” explains project coordinator Jason Halford from the UK’s University of Liverpool. “By developing a new range of foods with healthier nutritional profiles and added functionality, this project will help consumers control their appetites and contribute to a low energy-dense diet.”

SATIN has already made significant advances. For example, human dietary intervention studies using potentially beneficial fibre were undertaken by the University of Aberdeen, providing promising results. The potential impact of fibre on satiety – and how this might be integrated into food products – is now being assessed.

“SATIN has also developed a laboratory-based screening platform, which tests for a range of reactions from the release of flavours in the oral cavity, food structure formation during gastric digestion (in the stomach) to the production of key hormones,” says Halford. “By screening these products and ingredients, we have been able to collect a range of data on the impact on known satiety triggers.”

Further studies will help to validate these findings, providing the evidence-base needed for further research and possible health claim applications.

Filling a gap in the market

From this enhanced understanding of how our bodies respond to food, the SATIN team hopes to develop and commercialise new food products targeted specifically at weight management.  A number of these products – ranging from fruit and vegetable juices and dairy products to bakery products and savoury dishes – are scheduled for launch by 2016.

Furthermore, the flavour, texture and visual appearance of foods can all contribute to the sensation of being full, which is why the SATIN project aims to ensure that all final products are as eye-catching and appealing as possible. The bottom line is that in order to encourage people to eat more responsibly, products on the market must be attractive and enjoyable. “The Europe-wide collaboration will enable the consideration of all tastes – from the North to the South of Europe,” adds Dr Halford.

By working with research institutes, large companies and small and medium sized enterprises in the food and retail industry, the SATIN project is bringing researchers and industry together in order to bring cutting-edge food-based solutions to market. The project will also help to create new markets for food products and improve consumer awareness of how satiety-enhanced foods can contribute to obesity reduction.

Link to SATIN videos and podcasts