Kiwifruit benefits in focus

Zespri health and nutrition innovation leader, Dr Juliet Ansell says the symposium is a great opportunity for Tauranga and the perfect platform to discuss the latest research. Photo / John Borren

Tauranga will host the first International Health Symposium focused on kiwifruit next week, with 150 overseas researchers, academics, health professionals and health media expected to attend alongside their Kiwi counterparts.

Hosted by the Riddet Institute of New Zealand the event would focus on the nutritional and health benefits of kiwifruit, based on the latest research and scientific evidence.

Zespri health and nutrition innovation leader Dr Juliet Ansell advised people "to watch this space" as some exciting results would be announced.

Its research partners would be discussing digestive health, vitamin c health and metabolic health, she said.

Zespri International sponsored the event and decided to get involved "because we have built up this body of research and have all this scientific evidence", she said.

"We have been doing it over a number of years and now is a really good time for us to tell everyone about that in one place and bring them all together."

Its data showed the more people that knew about the health benefits of kiwifruit "the more they consume".

"It's really strongly linked to how we sell kiwifruit and we market it. I think we are actually way ahead of any companies in New Zealand and even globally in the terms of the level of research."

The symposium was a great opportunity for Tauranga and Bay kiwifruit growers, she said.

"This is where kiwifruit is grown and another advantage is it brings all these health media people and the scientific mix from around the world. They get to see where its grown and the beautiful environment which is an added benefit."

"That is something that is really important to Zespri, where the kiwifruit comes from and connecting with growers."

Another key note speaker was Professor Jaap Seidell, a Professor of Nutrition and Health and Director of the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Amsterdam. Professor Seidell was an eminent researcher with expertise across diet, healthy nutrition and the causes and effects which contribute to weight gain and obesity.

Hot topics that would be covered included nutrient richness of kiwifruit, digestive health benefits of kiwifruit through the properties of fibre and actinidin, kiwifruit's vitamin C health benefits, and kiwifruit and metabolic health.

Eighty per cent of New Zealand's kiwifruit exports are grown in the Bay of Plenty.The Health Symposium was expected to put the Bay of Plenty on the map for kiwifruit research as well as production.

What: International Health Symposium
Focus: To discuss and explore the nutritional and health benefits of kiwifruit, based on the latest research.
Host: The Riddet Institute of New Zealand.
When: April 12-14 at Tauranga's ASB Arena.