Public HealthCanadian Researchers Work To Lower Costs, Improve Health And Protect The Environment Through Advances In Food, Nutrition And Bio-Materials
Low-cost baked goods that have zero trans fat. Processed foods that taste salty but contain little salt. Biodegradable fabrics made from ecologically-friendly fibres. And an all-natural product that reduces the health risks associated with kidney disease. These are just some of the latest innovations in food, nutrition and bio-materials that will be unveiled at a leading scientific conference in Guelph later this month.
"In these tough economic times, our team of researchers and partners is reinforcing our commitment to create and bring to market healthier, more affordable products for Canadians," said Rickey Yada, Chief Research Officer of the Advanced Foods and Materials Network (AFMNet), which is organizing the conference. "In the face of soaring healthcare costs, we"re working hard to deliver preventative medicine through enriched food products, and to reduce the high costs and environmental risks associated with industry in general."
WHAT: Advanced Foods and Materials Network (AFMNet)
Fifth Annual Scientific Conference
WHEN: June 11-14, 2009
WHERE: Delta Guelph Hotel and Conference Centre
Guelph, Ontario
More than 20 research projects will be showcased at the four-day event, each unique in its multi-disciplinary make-up. The projects combine the skill sets of biochemists, engineers, social scientists, lawyers, and industry and government partners to develop innovative ways to lower food manufacturing costs, support environmentally-friendly industrial processes and improve the health of Canadians. Highlights include:
- A lower cost, healthier alternative to butter and other fats that can be used to make zero trans fat baked goods.
University of Guelph Professor Alejandro Marangoni and Dalhousie University Professor Gianfranco Mazzanti are working to engineer a healthy fat that can be used effectively in layered pastries without losing the "pouf" effect that occurs during baking. Currently, the most popular choice is butter, which is expensive and difficult to use, resulting in higher-priced food items. Other alternatives include partially hydrogenated oils, which contain high amounts of unhealthy trans fats, and palm oil which can be used to reduce trans fatty acids but needs to be imported from Asia and contains high levels of unhealthy saturated fat. Its functionality in layered bakery products is also limited. By studying the structure and properties of fats, the researchers have found that full (versus partial) hydrogenation of locally-grown crops like canola and soy actually produces a healthier fat product. The result is a low-cost, zero trans fats alternative that is pliable enough to bake puff pastries and other layered bakery products like croissants and danishes.
- A natural product that enhances kidney function and lowers high blood pressure, improving quality of life for kidney patients.
AFMNet researcher Rotimi Aluko from the University of Manitoba has developed a natural health product from pea proteins that has a direct effect on kidney disease. Clinical trials are currently underway in Winnipeg to confirm that the product will work on humans and researchers hope to have a commercialized form available on store shelves in the next few years. Because the kidney plays an important role in controlling blood pressure, people suffering from the disease typically have hypertension (high blood pressure), which leads to additional kidney damage, creating a vicious cycle that ultimately leads to renal failure. The natural product being developed - initially as a liquid, but eventually in pill form - has proven effective in reducing high blood pressure in rats. It has also been shown to improve the function of the kidney itself by enhancing the dilation of blood vessels, which leads to higher amounts of urine output, helping the kidney to filter toxins and reducing the need for dialysis.
- Creating a "salty" taste without using much salt.
Ryerson University Professor Dç©rick Rousseau is helping the processed food industry develop effective ways of making foods like pizza, cheeses, breads and soup taste salty using less salt. Studies show that reducing salt content in food by 20 to 30 per cent can lead to substantial reductions in healthcare costs by helping to decrease the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. However, what typically results is a bland taste. AFMNet researchers are using the concept of controlled release - similar to that found in over-the-counter acetaminophen-timed release capsules, for example - to simulate the experience of a "salt hit" so that using less salt will have the same impact on taste as that of a larger amount. Not only is salt reduction important for maintaining the health and well-being of Canadians, but by using normal table salt - as opposed to salt substitutes - researchers are providing food manufacturers with a cost-effective way to maintain product acceptance, quality and safety.
- Biodegradable, high-performance fibres for the textile industry that may someday replace environmentally-harmful petroleum materials.
Professor Doug Fudge at the University of Guelph is working on a method for making ecologically-friendly, high-performance textile fibres by replicating the process that hagfish (a deep water fish found worldwide) use to create slime as a defense mechanism. The slime secreted by hagfish contains protein fibres that are renewable (can be reproduced) and are strong and stretchy, with the ability to expand to three times their initial length. When stretched in water, researchers have discovered the fibres are transformed into a material that is similar to spider dragline silk in its stiffness, strength, and toughness - ideal qualities for textiles. Initial target applications include bullet proof vests and fishing lines. The work is significant because renewable, environmentally-friendly fibres have the potential to replace petroleum-based materials that rely on harmful solvents, and will eventually disappear or become too expensive to use.
- Ensuring Canadians achieve recommended levels of folate in their diet without possible negative effects of folic acid.
University of British Columbia Professor David Kitts and colleagues are looking at ways to use a reduced form of folate (one of the B vitamins), called L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (L-MTHF), as an alternative to folic acid in food fortification practices. Due to insufficient dietary folate intake, folate deficiency can result in an increased risk of acute and chronic disease, most notably neural tube defects such as spina bifida in a developing fetus. Low folate may also be associated with risks to cardiovascular disease. Since 1998, Canada has supported mandatory fortification of flour with folic acid (a synthetic form of folate), but research suggests there may be possible health concerns associated with consuming excessive amounts of folic acid, such as masking a Vitamin B12 deficiency. AFMNet researchers are finding ways to stabilize the less stable L-MTHF so that it can be used as a replacement to folic acid. Once L-MTHF has been successfully developed in a capsule form, a clinical study is planned to take place in Southeast Asia where populations are predisposed to folate deficiency.
Additional research to be showcased at the conference - the primary networking vehicle for Canada"s leading academic, industrial and government experts in advanced foods and bio-materials - includes how genetic make-up affects food preferences, how simple nutrients can help fight diseases like diabetes, how Canadians are helping to increase the food supply, and how science can shape what new food products companies bring to grocery store shelves. Keynote speakers include Mary L"Abbe, Director, Health Canada Bureau of Nutritional Sciences; Dave Smardon, President and CEO of Guelph, Ontario-based BioEnterprise Corp.; and, Jerome Konecsni, Director General, National Research Council - Plant Biotechnology Institute.
The Advanced Foods and Materials Network