Food and Health

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Research group

01.01.2012 -

Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences

Information People

Our research focuses on the comprehensive effects of food on health and well‑being. Developing healthy and safe foods requires identifying the factors that influence overall quality. We examine food quality from nutritional, microbiological, chemical, and sensory perspectives. Our research environment provides extensive opportunities to study food safety, shelf life, and consumer acceptability, as well as health effects—both through clinical intervention studies and in vitro intestinal models.

Using in vitro gut models, we study the digestion of food and its components, as well as their effects on the gut microbiota and the function of the intestinal wall. Our aim is to understand the bioavailability of new food sources—such as plant proteins—and their significance in the metabolism of the gut microbiota. Our current key research areas include food bioavailability and gut microbial activity, and we are developing advanced models to study intestinal barrier interactions.

We conduct short‑ and long‑term clinical dietary interventions and meal studies, in which participants’ diets or meals are intentionally modified and the resulting health effects are assessed. Our long-term research themes have included whole grains and berries, and more recently, various plant-based protein sources.

In the field of food safety, we have strong expertise in food microbiology. Alongside microbiological analyses, we utilize chemical and sensory methods. We investigate research‑driven technological solutions to improve food quality and shelf life. Recent research topics include technological innovations related to high‑pressure processing and freeze‑drying. Controlled, evidence‑based extension of shelf life contributes to global goals for the wise use of resources and the reduction of food waste.

It is also essential that food tastes and looks appealing. We develop sensory evaluation and consumer research methods to assess the quality and acceptability of food products.

We work in open collaboration with stakeholders and are committed to promoting open science within the food sector.

Projects

Cooperation

Our Food Microbiology Laboratory (BSL‑2), located on the 4th floor of the Mediteknia building at the Kuopio campus, investigates food spoilage microorganisms and foodborne pathogens, and explores ways to prevent their growth.

We employ both traditional plate and broth culture methods as well as modern microbial identification technologies, including Tempo and miniVIDAS systems. Antimicrobial activity and growth inhibition are examined using agar diffusion techniques and the Bioscreen instrument.

Shelf‑life testing focuses on monitoring changes in the microbiological quality of foods under controlled conditions and assessing product shelf life and the factors that affect it. These tests can be complemented with sensory evaluation, texture measurements, and chemical analyses such as pH, viscosity, fat oxidation, and protein degradation (TVB‑N).

Contact: Jenni Korhonen
We study the gut‑mediated health effects of food using in vitro gut models. Our laboratories, located on the 4th floor of the Mediteknia building on the Kuopio campus, provides a safe and mechanistic platform to evaluate the gut-mediated effects of novel foods before clinical trials or combined with them.

The research platform consists of several complementary digestion and intestinal models that allow us to examine how foods, bioactive compounds, and ingredients behave during different stages of digestion, as well as their effects on gut health.

Using gut models, we can study
- digestibility, absorption, and bioavailability
- effects on gut microbiota composition
- effects on microbial metabolism (e.g., metabolite production such as SCFAs)
- effects on intestinal cell function and the integrity of the intestinal wall
- fermentability
of foods and raw materials.

Our selection includes the internationally standardized INFOGEST digestion model, a colon model, and a dynamic gastrointestinal model that continuously simulates digestive processes from the stomach to the large intestine. These models are supported by a wide range of continuously developing analytical methods, including measurements of protein and nutrient digestibility, analyses of microbial composition, metabolic products and viability, assessments of effects on intestinal epithelial cells, and quantification of key metabolic end products.

We tailor each study to the client’s research question and specific needs. The service package includes digestion simulation using the selected gut model, tailored analyses, expert support, and reporting of results.

Contact: Carlos Gomez-Gallego
It is important that food both tastes and looks appealing!

We develop sensory evaluation and consumer research methods for assessing the quality and acceptability of food products.

Sensory evaluation can include assessments of appearance, texture/mouthfeel, flavour and aroma, as well as mapping the preferences of different consumer groups. The tests can be used in early‑stage product development, in evaluating the effects of recipe or processing changes, and in determining consumer acceptability.

Our facilities on the 4th floor of the Canthia building on the Kuopio campus include a group‑work area, four dedicated sensory evaluation rooms, and a sample preparation area. A teaching and research kitchen is located directly adjacent to these facilities, enabling food preparation and storage. For data collection and sensory test management, we use the EyeQuestion software.

Contact: Kati Väkevainen
We investigate the health effects of foods and dietary patterns through clinical dietary interventions and meal studies.

Dietary interventions involve short‑ or long‑term study periods during which participants’ diets are intentionally modified, and the health impacts of these changes are assessed.

Meal studies focus on the immediate physiological responses that occur after consuming a single meal or food product.

Our research services offer flexible and tailored study designs. Clinical nutrition studies can examine, for example, glucose and lipid responses, inflammatory markers, satiety responses, or changes in gut microbiota composition and metabolic products.

Our facilities on the 4th floor of the Canthia building on the Kuopio campus include participant reception areas with patient rooms and a clinical research laboratory. A teaching and research kitchen, as well as a sensory evaluation laboratory, are located adjacent to these spaces, enabling the preparation, storage, and serving of study meals.

Contact: Marjukka Kolehmainen