The $10.9 million investment will fund three areas of research:
- Metabolic health – the team led from Auckland University will work at developing foods that help with metabolic control, reducing the risks of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
- Immunity – the team led out of The Malaghan Institute of Medical Research will initially look at ways nutrition can improve immune defences against infections and pollution.
- Gastrointestinal health – the team led out of AgResearch will investigate the causes of gut irritability and discomfort to identify ways to achieve healthy gut function to improve optimal daily health.
Complementing this research will be underlying projects in Consumer Insight (Plant & Food Research) and Food Science (Massey University).
The investment totals $10.9m and will grow to $13.9m in 2016.
High-value-nutrition science director Professor David Cameron-Smith said the initiative is innovative, bringing together the best scientists with a wide range of expertise to target the needs of consumers.
”The best scientific brains in the country will be working closely with the innovators and exporters from NZ food and beverage companies to ensure our findings can translate into greater value for our exports.
“By scientifically validating a health benefit, the premium and value to the consumer becomes an important point of difference. Food for health is the new global trend.”
“These research projects are focused on worldwide health concerns that are increasing, especially in Asia,” Cameron-Smith said.
High-value nutrition’s investments
- $3.6m to AgResearch to research the relationship between nutrition and gastrointestinal health. The principal investigator is Dr Nicole Roy collaborating with colleagues at the University of Otago, the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research and Plant & Food Research.
- $3.5m to the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research to research the relationship between nutrition and immune defences. The principal investigator is Dr Elizabeth Forbes-Blom. She will be assisted by colleagues at AgResearch, Plant & Food Research and the Medical Research Institute of NZ.
- $2.9m to the University of Auckland to research the relationship between nutrition for metabolic health. Professor Sally Poppitt is the principal investigator working with scientists from the University of Otago, AgResearch and Plant & Food Research.
- $600,000 to Massey University for a preliminary project to establish current knowledge on the food science of health foods as a lead into a larger $1.5m programme to support the design and development of food and beverages that maintain their health benefits through to the point of consumption. The principal investigator is Distinguished Professor Harjinder Singh, with colleagues from the University of Otago, Lincoln University and AgResearch.
- $300,000 to Plant & Food Research to establish a collective NZ Inc programme on consumer insights in relation to food-for-health in this country’s key markets with a focus on Asia. The principal investigator is Dr Roger Harker with collaborators from the University of Auckland, the University of Otago and PriceWaterhouseCooper. This will lead into the design of a wider $1.5m study to identify the key drivers of consumer behaviour in relation to food purchases and health and wellbeing.
