Insights and gaps on protein digestion

Protein is still the macronutrient that seems least problematic in relation to diet and health. Research continues to improve our understanding of how to structure food to deliver amino acids and in some cases bioactive peptides at the optimum rate for a desired health outcome in a specific population. Our understanding of the factors affecting digestion is much improved but, there is still a gap in our understanding of food allergy and whether digestion is relevant to the risk of novel proteins being allergenic. Sustainability is undoubtedly going to become a more important driver in food research, and there is still much progress to be made in our understanding of how to move to more plant based protein sources. The use of in vitro studies combined with relevant animal studies and clinical trials in humans, is likely to be the most useful approach to improve our knowledge of protein digestion.