Obesity and associated conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease are major global health concerns. A contributing factor is overconsumption of energy dense foods, rich in fat and sugar, driven by our hedonic and physiological desire to consume energy rich foods. One approach has been to reduce the energy content of foods whilst retaining the sensorial quality. The food industry has developed a wide range of healthier products. In order for these products to be successful, consumers must continue to purchase and consume them. However, recent studies have suggested that reducing the energy content of a food may have unintended consequences. Specifically, if a food looks, and tastes like it is rich in nutrients, the gut and brain systems prepare to expect a high energy intake. If this does not happen, as in the case of a reduced calorie food, the brain appears to induce hunger signals that drive the individual to overconsume at subsequent meals (rebound hunger), resulting in an increased calorie intake, thus negating the whole effect of consuming the reduced calorie food. This leads to consumer dissatisfaction with these products, and potentially to imbalances in appetite and hunger hormones that often cause rapid weight gain following periods of dieting. Therefore we need to rethink how reduced calorie foods can be used more effectively to control energy intake. To do this, we need to understand the relationship between how we sense foods, how we digest and absorb the nutrients and how the brain responds to these processes and controls subsequent appetite signalling. This Mouth-Gut-Brain system is key to controlling our appetite and energy intake. The aim of this project is to understand how the mismatch between sensory properties and nutrient intake of food controls our appetite and rebound hunger. The key question we aim to address is, by how much can the energy content of a food be reduced before rebound hunger and overconsumption occurs? The key impact will be our ability to modify reformulated foods to reduce the gap between sensory and nutrient signals in order for reduced-energy alternatives to satisfying and not result in subsequent over-consumption. This project will focus on fat, as fat has the highest energy content, and the sensory properties of low fat foods are challenging for both consumers and the food industry. We will investigate the impact of reducing the fat content of foods by determining how the sensory properties control consumer expectations of satiety (feeling of "fullness"), and measure how much we can reduce fat content before consumers develop rebound hunger and overconsume at a subsequent meal. Using this information we will design a more realistic food where the structure, physical behaviour and sensory properties are closely matched, but with a range of fat contents and fat type, to carefully control how much fat is "sensed" and how much is absorbed. We will measure how the appetite response of these foods controls the consumption of food in a following meal; and study differences between individuals who are sensitive or insensitive to fat content in foods. This will determine how much we can alter the sensory and fat content of food and still maintain an overall reduction in energy across subsequent meals. Results will provide valuable information on how mouth-gut-brain signalling fundamentally controls appetite, and begin to unravel why different individuals may be more susceptible to rebound hunger following the consumption of reduced calorie foods. The research will also enable us to define a broader research programme to investigate mouth-gut-brain interface that will study in more detail variations between individual responses, and the biological mechanisms behind our behavioural measures (such as gut hormone levels). Knowledge generated will enable better approaches to reduced calorie foods that are more effective at reducing energy intake in the longer term.

Our vision is to provide citizens of culturally-diverse disadvantaged communities with choice and agency over the food they consume, by co-developing new products, new supply chains and new policy frameworks that deliver an affordable, attractive, healthy and sustainable diet. Disadvantaged communities are defined as families and individuals who are at risk of food and housing insecurity, often culturally diverse, and whom experience multiple challenges such as financial, mental health and physical health. The proposed programme of research integrates some of the largest food businesses in the country, together with distribution and retail partners that reach into the heart of disadvantaged communities across the UK. Working alongside government departments and civil organisations, the team will develop a resilient, sustainable and adaptable food system for populations from different regions, age groups and socio-cultural backgrounds. At the end of the project the consortium will have developed methods for innovating food products, food supply chains and food/agricultural policies that are inclusive and robust. When implemented at national scale these will deliver the behavioural, health and economic benefits that a food system should provide for citizens, businesses and the environment. A baseline of 22% of people live in food poverty in the UK, often reliant on solutions outside of mainstream food systems, including food banks. This doesn't enable people to plan or chose their diet, or to improve their food security on a long term basis. Previous attempts at transforming the food-health system to become more equitable, sustainable and integrated have had limited impact as they fail to engage disadvantaged communities in the research process and the policy design, leading to a failure to impart knowledge sharing or social innovation. The disconnect between households, communities and national supply and production networks presents one of the greatest challenges to developing a socially just, healthier, and sustainable food system for everyone. This project will identify and implement the innovations and new configurations of the food system that are necessary to deliver improved nutritional public health and wellbeing for citizens from disadvantaged communities with enhanced environmental sustainability. The team will do this using co-design, co-production and participatory methods that enable major food businesses and community owned enterprises to engage with each other, and with the citizens who consume food. In the first part of the project a picture of the national food landscape in disadvantaged communities from across the UK will be built, and the impact of the current food system on environmental sustainability will be analysed. Investigation of current corporate, social and government policy frameworks that guide food and agriculture in the UK and across Europe will be evaluated to highlight positive directions for the future. Together, in phase 2, communities and businesses will co-develop new supply chains, new or reformulated exemplar food products and new policy frameworks. In phase 3, these innovations will be evaluated, adjusted and improved. The impact of scaling these innovations to basket level and national level will be evaluated, quantifying the potential impact of nationwide changes on the environment and health. By the end of the project we will have established effective methods for co-creation of policy, products and supply chains that can be implemented at a national level. As a result, every citizen will have the potential to make decisions about their food, and will have access to a diet that is affordable, attractive, healthy and environmentally sustainable.

'Raising the Pulse (RtP)' is based on the concept that considerable health and environmental benefit would result if we could make it easier for the UK population to eat more UK grown pulses. The pulse best suited to the UK, the faba bean, is naturally high in protein, micronutrients and fibre, and has the lowest environmental impact of all crops, as it can 'fix' nitrogen from the atmosphere with no need for polluting nitrate fertilizers. However, most of the population will not significantly increase their consumption unless they are successfully incorporated into familiar looking and tasting, economic and convenient staple foods, such as bread. This has not been done to date because economic incentives do not exist for producers to supply raw materials with defined end use quality, nor for processors to reconfigure their processing plant to accommodate a new raw material. A major stimulus such as that provided by this study is required to encourage food manufacturers to use UK pulses to satisfy consumer demand for plant-based and pulse-rich foods rather than importing chiefly soy-based ingredients. RtP addresses this market failure by bringing together a consortium to develop feasible routes to market for UK produced foods with added faba beans. The project includes experts in diverse areas, including environment, agriculture, food, nutrition, health and consumer behaviour, who have a demonstrated track record in this area and who will work with industry, government and civil society to tackle five linked challenges: Challenge 1: how can environmental impacts of faba beans grown to meet specific quality standards be minimised? We will conduct extensive field trials to establish growing protocols to maximise the amount of nutrients produced per unit area using the best available genetics, agronomy and post-harvest technologies while making detailed measurements of environmental impacts. Challenge 2: how can faba beans from Challenge 1 be prepared for incorporation into a variety of food products such that they retain the highest possible nutritional value and minimal change in taste? Following successful pilot breadmaking trials conducted to demonstrate feasibility, we will optimise cultivar selection, pre-processing and milling steps to obtain faba bean flours that can be successfully combined with wheat flour to make RtP bread that is an acceptable alternative to conventional bread, but with added nutritional and environmental benefits. Challenge 3: what effects do eating more pulses have on nutritional intake and human health? A human study will be performed using RtP bread to determine nutrient availability and its effects on hunger and health markers. Furthermore, two consumer studies, one in student halls of residence and one in the catering outlets on the University of Reading campus, will be conducted. These will investigate whether faba beans offered as RtP breads and in other foods result in a healthier diet and better nutritional knowledge when information of their benefits is given. Challenge 4: how can understanding of consumer attitudes, preferences and behaviours be used to achieve optimum increase in pulse intake? Addressing this crucial point will involve reviewing evidence, performing focus groups, surveys, choice experiment and test market launch. This will include determination of how RtP bread and related foods are perceived, whether they are liked and, therefore, chosen and whether knowledge of their benefits promotes their consumption. Challenge 5: will combine all data collected across the project to create an over-arching mathematical model of interactions between pulse (particularly faba bean) production, manufacturing and consumption. This model will be used to determine the influence on environment and health of legislation and consumer behaviour and to predict the outcomes of specific interventions to hasten the transition of the UK population to a diet that contains more pulses.