The objective of the project led by Jean-François Landrier (C2VN, Marseille) is to improve the health effects of tomato powder through an innovative combination of genotypic choices, cultural practices and food technology.
Tomato consumption is classically associated with the beneficial effects of a preventive nutrition type approach, guaranteeing cardiometabolic health. However, many parameters can modify in a very important way the nutritional quality and thus the health value of tomatoes. The objective of this project is to work on several parameters in order to optimize this quality and maximize the beneficial effects of tomatoes. Among these factors, we will focus on the choice of tomato genotype as well as the growing conditions. Of particular interest will be the irrigation strategy to increase the phytomicronutrient content. Since a significant part of tomato consumption is done through dried powders, for convenience reasons, we will optimize this technological process to guarantee an optimal nutritional quality to the finished product. The bioaccessibility and bioavailability of the phytomicronutrients present in these tomato powders will be studied. Finally, the preventive effect of these optimized tomato powders, in terms of cardiometabolic health, will be studied during a preclinical protocol, followed by a clinical study. The whole project, which is intended to be resolutely trans-disciplinary, will generate new scientific data on the one hand, but will also make it possible to develop new market opportunities through the optimized production of tomato powder. This approach will take into account aspects of environmental sustainability (reduction of water needs and less waste), while promoting nutritional security and preventive nutrition strategies.
This project involves 3 INRAE research units (C2VN, Marseille; PSH, Avignon; SQPOV, Avignon), 1 CNRS research unit (GEPEA, Rennes), a technical center (CTCPA, Avignon) and 2 industrialists (IDCAPS, La Rochelle; GB Foods, Vedene).