Enhanced Satiety With Pork Products Containing Dietary Fibre

Dietary proteins have shown to be the most satiating macronutrient, however it is not clear whether various types of protein exert the same effect. The latest evidence on animal versus plant proteins show no differences on appetite and ad libitum energy intake, neither on weight loss but well-designed studies that control for macronutrient composition of protein-rich foods are rare and therefore needed.

Dietary fibre have also shown to play a role in appetite regulation, especially viscous dietary fibre have a greater effect on short-term satiety and subsequent energy intake than less viscous dietary fibers. A combination of dietary fibre and protein would therefore be beneficial in formulation of satiety-enhancing foods targeted consumers who want to maintain or loose weight.

Pork is a good source of high-quality protein and essential vitamins and minerals. The fat content of most retail pork cuts lives up to the Nordic Key Hole nutrition label having less than 10 g fat per 100 gram. Pork can therefore be recognized as a lean meat type delivering key nutrients as part of the diet. Processed pork products such as sausages, liver pate and salamis are nutritionally characterized as high-fat products. However, today the meat industry puts a lot of effort into product development of meat products with a healthier nutritional profile.

The investigators have previously shown that the addition of wheat and rye bran to sausages with 10% fat reduced appetite sensations. Also, the satisfying effect of dietary fibers was more pronounced when added to sausages than when added to bread. These findings point towards a potential for using dietary fibre in meat products in order to improve the nutritional profile of the product as well as the satiating effects.

The overall objective is to investigate the effects of protein quality and a combination of dietary fibre and protein on appetite regulation. Dietary protein and fibre will be combined into an animal protein based food (fiber-meat balls), a vegetable protein based food (veggie "meat balls"), a meal (meat balls with fiber bread) and compared to animal protein per se (meat balls). The study will use measures of ad libitum energy intake and visual-analogue scales of appetite in combination with biological markers targeted satiety.