This Ph.D. research project aims at exploiting the peculiar characteristics of innovative porous food-grade materials, called bioaerogels, in the development of foods with tailored health-related functionalities. In particular, bioaerogels will be used to develop: (i) delivery systems able to protect bioactives through the gastrointestinal tract; (ii) fat replacers rich in unsaturated fatty acids, able to mimic the technological functions of traditional saturated hard fats; (iii) lighting ingredients, able to incorporate air in food formulations, thus leading to caloric density reduction.
