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Independent Weekly
May
8, 2003
Richardson
Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals explores the
possibilities
The
Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals
(RCFFN) hosted its first conference, “Exploring the Possibilities”,
at the University of Manitoba on April 28, 2003. The conference
offered presentations from world-renowned scientists as well
as progress reports and research plans from the local scientific
community in various areas of nutraceuticals and functional
foods.
The
approximately 170 participants represented all sectors involved
in nutraceuticals and functional foods as well as biotechnology,
and the pharmaceutical and the life sciences community. They
varied from local wildcrafters and herb producers, agricultural
engineers and health care professionals to large-scale R &
D organizations and product manufacturers involved in global
marketing.
Dr.
Clare Hasler, founding Director of the Functional Foods for
Health Program at the University of Illinois, provided the
morning keynote address “Global Trends in Functional
Food & Nutraceutical Research”. She noted that with
increasing health care costs, technical advances and an aging
population, the growing trend toward self- care using functional
foods and nutraceuticals is no surprise. In the U.S., a growing
number of health claims are allowed that link nutrients or
food groups to the reduction of particular diseases. Such
claims have the power to steer consumers’ perceptions
and purchasing trends. Dr.
Hasler reported that the sales of soy products doubled in
one year following the approval of a risk reduction heart
disease claim for soy protein that the FDA officially announced
on October 20, 1999.
Dr.
Hasler said she expects a continued focus on self-treatment
in the future and noted that the outlook was bright for functional
food and nutraceutical products based on good, clinical research
that demonstrate efficacy and well-publicized results for
consumers to make well informed choices. She concluded that
commercial success of functional foods is expected to continue
with increased availability of government- approved healthy
and flavourful products.
In
her presentation, “Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals
– Exploring the Canadian Possibilities”, Kelley
Fitzpatrick, marketing and research development manager for
the RCFFN, indicated that in 2001, Canadians purchased approximately
$4.2 US billion worth of dietary supplements, nutraceutical
and functional food products in comparison to $3.9 US billion
in 2000. This translates into nearly $140 per capita spending,
a 130% increase in only four years.
Ms.
Fitzpatrick described a recent study conducted for the Canadian
government, in which it was estimated that up to CA$1 billion
of farm production value is extracted from ingredients for
functional foods and nutraceuticals.
Ms.
Fitzpatrick explained, the working definition for a nutraceutical
in Canada has been “a product that has been isolated
or purified from foods and generally sold in medicinal forms
not usually associated with food. Nutraceuticals have been
shown to exhibit a physiological benefit or provide protection
against chronic disease”. This product category has been
encompassed in proposed regulations for natural health products.
Functional foods are generally accepted to be foods similar
in appearance to conventional foods and consumed as part of
the usual diet. These foods have demonstrated physiological
benefits, and/or reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond
basic nutritional functions.
Ms.
Fitzpatrick said in the area of nutraceuticals, Canadian companies
are well recognized for the production and processing of high
quality oilseed products such as encapsulated and bottled
oil products including borage, evening primrose, flaxseed,
hemp, fish oil, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), plus pumpkin
seed and canola phytosterols. Flaxseed lignans are also sold
into the health food market in the form of capsules and blended
with flax oil. Of the 20 top selling herbs in the U.S. and
Canada, nine are currently being produced on a limited scale
including echinacea, garlic, goldenseal, feverfew, St. John's
wort, valerian, ginseng, astragalus and cayenne. Other herbs
sold in the North American health food markets and currently
being tested in Canada include seabuckthorn, milk thistle,
chamomile, senega root, yarrow, calendula and stinging nettle.
Natural health products derived from elk antler such as elk
velvet capsules and powders are also produced.
She
noted that functional foods and ingredients that are currently
available from Canadian companies include oat, barley and
wheat brans, modified fatty acid canola oils and milled flaxseed.
Products with potential for incorporation into functional
foods are purple wheat, fenugreek, Saskatoon berries and red
clover. She stressed that the Canadian regulatory system should
move towards greater harmonization with the U.S. in order
to ensure continued growth.
The
afternoon keynote address, “Functional Food and Nutraceutical
Potential of Grain and Grain Products” was provided by
Dr. Gary Fulcher, General Mills Research Chair of the Department
of Food Science, University of Minnesota. Dr. Fulcher spoke
on the relationship of diet, nutrition and physical activity
to chronic diseases. He said the burden of chronic diseases
is rapidly increasing. For example, he said, in 2001, approximately
59 % of the 56.5 million total reported deaths in the world
and 46 % of the global burden of disease could be attributed
to chronic disease.
Dr
Fulcher also pointed out that incidence of obesity is increasing
in North America. In 2001, over 65% of the US population were
considered overweight or obese. Simple sugars, especially
glucose, have been blamed for the growing epidemic, which
includes an increase in the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Fulcher said he believes the blame should more properly be
placed on increased consumption of carbohydrates. He stressed
however, that there are wholesome carbohydrates, such as whole
grains, which make up only 5 % of the typical Americans' carbohydrate
consumption.
Dr.
Fulcher noted that only 13 % of Americans include at least
one serving of whole grains in their daily diets. The US Food
and Drug Administration allows food manufacturers to claim
health benefits for their products with at least 51 % whole
grains by weight and less than 3 grams of fat per serving.
It states, "Diets rich in whole-grain foods and other
plant foods low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol
may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers”.
He concluded that a shift to less processing of whole grains
could significantly improve the health of North Americans.
Overviews
of nutraceutical and functional food related research activities
at the University of Manitoba included presentations by Dr.
Rachael Scarth, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences;
Dr. Dan Sitar, Faculty of Medicine; Dr. James Friel, Department
of Human Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Human Ecology and
Drs. Colin Brigg and Frank Burczynski, Faculty of Pharmacy.
Partners of the RCFFN including Dr. Grant Pierce, National
Centre for Agri-Food Research in Medicine, St. Boniface Research
Centre; Dr. Linda Malcolmson, Canadian International Grains
Institute; Mr. Alphonsus Utioh, Food Development Centre and
Dr. Barry Garbutt, Red River College also presented overviews
of their research activities. Full copies of these presentations
will be available in May at the RCFFN website: www.umanitoba.ca/afs/ffnc.
The
Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals
is a $25 million dollar research facility that will be built
in 2004 at the University of Manitoba’s Smartpark. When
it is fully operational, approximately 90 people will work
together to develop functional foods and nutraceuticals based
on scientific evidence of their safety and efficacy. The researchers
from the University of Manitoba faculties of Agricultural
and Food Sciences, Pharmacy, Human Ecology and Medicine, will
focus on crops grown in the prairie region such as canola,
wheat, oats, flax and hemp.
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