$10.9 million granted to food researchers

The ministry says the aim is to drive innovation in nutrition research. Photo / iStock

Food researchers have been granted $10.9 million under a new Government scheme designed to encourage scientific brilliance and boost exports.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment this morning announced the recipients of the grants and outlined the research to be done under its "National Science Challenge - High-Value Nutrition".

The "challenges" - or research areas - were announced by MBIE in 2013. The 11 challenges include - as well as high-value nutrition - technological innovation, healthier lives, sustainable use of marine resources, and Antarctic and Southern Ocean climate research.

The ministry says the aim of the high-value nutrition challenge is "to drive innovation in nutrition research, food science and health - repositioning New Zealand as a world leader in the lucrative food-for-health market and boost our exports by $1 billion by 2025".

Follow-on grants of $3 million, for work to flow from two of the first projects, were also announced.

The high-value nutrition challenge research projects will focus on metabolic health, immunity, gastro-intestinal health, consumer insights and food science. The projects, all collaborations between research organisations and each led by one institute, are:

• AgResearch, $3.6 million to study the relationship between nutrition and gastro-intestinal health.

• Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, $3.5 million to investigate the relationship between nutrition and immune defences.

• Auckland University, $2.9 million to research the relationship between nutrition and metabolic health.

• Massey University, $600,000 to establish current knowledge on the food science of health foods. This preliminary project will lead to a larger, $1.5 million programme to support the design and development of foods and drinks that maintain their health benefits through to the point of consumption.

• Plant & Food Research, $300,000 to establish a programme on consumer insights related to food-for-health in New Zealand's foreign markets, particularly Asia. This will help in the design of a wider, $1.5 million study to identify key drivers of consumer behaviour in relation to food purchases and health and wellbeing.

The science director of the high-value nutrition challenge, Professor David Cameron-Smith, described it as an economic development initiative, which brings 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 New Zealand food and beverage companies to ensure our findings can translate into greater value for our experts.

"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."

Professor Harjinder Singh, the principal investigator for the Massey project, says the university's science of food team is uniquely placed to provide strategic scientific guidance and vital food solutions.

Massey says the first part of its project will be to look for food-for-health developments internationally in the scientific, patent and regulatory areas. Its second programme, bio-active food systems, will translate nutrient delivery targets into model food products.