Multiple Disciplines Yield Multiple Benefits in Health, Food Safety and Food Quality: A Network

Approach to Food Research

X REUNIÓN DE LA COMISIÓN PERMANENTE DE COHIFFA

3 May 2006

Rickey Y. YadaAdvanced Foods and Materials Network

Networks of Centres of Excellence

Food Issues & The Public

• Acrylamide• Mad Cow Disease• Genetically Modified Foods• Trans fatty acids• Diets

Why do we eat food?

• Variety/esthetics• Social reasons• Nutrition and health

Challenges:

Decreasing farming population- < 2.5% Canadians are farmers

Industry consolidation- decision making heading to the USA- 2nd largest industry in Canada13% employment, 8% GDP, 45% export

Challenges Cont’d

Valued Added- Move away from commodities- Fundamental science- Multidisciplinary training

Challenges Cont’dAging population (graying workforce)

- 37.1 years in 1991 to 39.0 in 2001

- 2011, 1/5 baby boomers (1946-1964) will be 61years

- 2001, 29% professors 55+ years

- invincibility to vulnerability, susceptibility

- health care costs

Challenges Cont’d

Globalization

- movement from domestic to world markets

- transmission food-borne illnesses, other food related issues

Challenges Cont’d

Obesity & Others Diseases (epidemic?)

- 2000-01, 6 million adults overweight, 3 million obese, rates doubled (CPHI Report, 2004)

- 1981-2001, overweight and obesity rates in children (7-13) by 1.5 to 5 times (gender) (CPHI Report, 2004)

- Health care costs

Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2004

Stress/Time Pressures (non-renewable resource)• “Fast” food • Convenience foods

(Cohen, 2003)

Challenges Cont’d

Communicating science/technology: Better informed public?

- Science/technology literacy

- Validating information

- Science based policy/regulations

Communicating science and technology. Better informed public?

• Information overload – What is valid information? What is misinformation?

• Science/technology literacy (validating information) – 26% can read, but can only deal with simple health-related material (Jadad,

2003)

– The greatest problems were among people over 65 (80% are functionally health illiterate) (Jadad, 2003)

– 22% of adult Canadians are unable to understand a medicine label, a bus schedule or a weather chart from a newspaper (Jadad, 2003)

• Informed decisions

• Science based policy/regulations

US Food Guide Pyramid

US Food Guide Pyramid for Kids

Food Safety

Challenges/Opportunities

- “real time” assays

- traceability and authentication

Food Quality

Challenges/Opportunities

- safe, nutritious, esthetically pleasing, affordable and convenient(?)

German et al., 2004

Moving Towards• Change in how we think and act

– Health promotion (food, functional food and nutraceuticals as a vehicle) rather than disease treatment

Functional foodsFoods that have physiological benefits and/or reduce the risk

of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional functions.

NutraceuticalsProducts, isolated or purified from foods, that exhibit a

physiological benefit or provide protection against chronic disease.

Moving Towards

• Moving away from “quick fixes”• Promote a holistic approach: moderation, healthy

eating and exercise• “Personalizing” foods – nutrigenomics

Nutrigenomics

Nutrigenetics

Nutritional Genomics

Nutritional Genetics

El-Sohemy, 2005

Nutrition

Health

Genomics

Nutrigenomics

El-Sohemy, 2005

Using genomic information and techniques inmolecular biology/genetics to address issues important to nutrition.

Diet Genes

Nutrigenomics

El-Sohemy, 2005

Genes

OutcomeGenotype X

Genotype Z

Genotype Y

Increase

Decrease

No effect

Nutrition

El-Sohemy, 2005

- Hippocrates (480 BC)

“Positive health requires a knowledge of man’s primaryconstitution and of the powers of various foods, boththose natural to them and those resulting from humanskill.”

functional foods

genotype

El-Sohemy, 2005

• Personalized nutrition

• Development of functional foods

Application of Nutrigenomics:

• Design more efficient clinical trials

• Elucidate molecular mechanism(s)

• Improve consistency among epidemiological studies

El-Sohemy, 2005

Networks of Centres of Excellence(NCE) Program Mission (1989):

“To mobilize Canada’s research talent in the academic, private and public sectors and apply it to developing the economy and improving the quality of life of Canadians.”

NCE Government Sponsors:Federal Research Granting Councils:

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

Industry Canada

Why Canada Built NetworksWhy Canada Built NetworksVast country

Dispersed institutions

Link strengths

Create critical mass

SFMSFM

PrioNetPrioNetMITACSMITACS

IRISIRISCSNCSNCANCAN

ISISISIS

Auto21 Auto21 CLLRnetCLLRnetSCNSCNCWNCWNAFMNetAFMNetAllerGenAllerGen

GEOIDEGEOIDECIPICIPIArcticNetArcticNet

NCEs: Canada-wide networks linking universities, public and private sectors.

16 NCEs in 4 broad areas:Health and Biotechnology

e.g., Food (AFMNet), Arthritis (CAN), Strokes (CSN), PrioNetInformation and Communication Technology

e.g., Robotics (IRIS)Natural Resources and Infrastructure

e.g., Clean water (CWN)Engineering and Manufacturing

e.g., Automobiles (Auto21), Smart structures (ISIS)

A typical NCE:• 15-25 Projects in 4-6 Themes• 50-60 Professors in 12-20 Universities• 100-150 HQP (Students, PDF’s, Res. Associates)• 20-50 Companies• $3-6 Million per year from NCE

– Doubled with Partner’s Cash and In-Kind– Quadrupled with individual research grants

• Funded for a maximum of two 7-year cycles

Network BreadthNetwork Breadth

Advanced foodOn the leading edge of food research and technology.

Bio-materialA biologically derived material used for its material property, rather than because it is a catalyst or a pharmaceutical.

Functional foodsFoods that have physiological benefits and/or reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional functions.

NutraceuticalsProducts, isolated or purified from foods, that exhibit a physiological benefit or provide protection against chronic disease.

3 Interrelated Themes: Research continuum from fundamental to applied; “Atom to Application”

Theme I: Structure-Dynamics-Function of Foods & Materials[1] Bio-surfaces.[2] Bio-structures & Bio-products.

Theme II: Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals[1] Extraction and Identification.[2] Mechanism and Efficacy.

Theme III: Genetics, Ethics, Economics, Environment, Law and Society (GE3LS)[1] Consumer & Citizen Perception and Acceptance.[2] Regulation and Policy.[3] Risk Assessment and Management.

Research ProgramResearch Program

AFMNet ResearchAFMNet Research

IndustryGovernment

MicrobiologistsEngineers

Consumer

LawyersSocial Scientists

Physicists

Food ScientistsBiochemists

Chemists

Animal Scientists

Plant Scientists

MathematiciansNutritionists

Problem

Capacity of User SectorCapacity of User Sector• Academia:

– Estimated that 20,000 new faculty (7,000 in the sciences) will be required in the next 6 years.

• Private Sector:– Insufficient access to highly skilled personnel identified as a

significant obstacle to growth by Canadian biotech firms.– In 1998, 1900 unfilled positions (20%) in the biotech industry.

• Public Sector:– Science professionals needed to fulfill national programs (e.g.,

Food Safety and Quality), & new personnel will be needed to deal with regulatory issues.

• Guiding principles:– Interesting, exciting & challenging learning

opportunities.– High probability of a rewarding career.

• Accomplish through:– Multidisciplinary training– Topical, cutting edge research– Interactions between academia, industry,

government, NGOs.

Development of HQPDevelopment of HQP

Improved food quality (e.g., better control of texture, flavour and colour)

• Improved health maintenance (e.g., through new and better nutraceuticals and functional foods)

• Safer foods (e.g., through new and better antimicrobials and control of biofilms in foods and processing equipment)

• Improved healing (e.g., by way of better wound dressings and drug/medication delivery)

• Non-food products made from novel materials (e.g., bioengineered polymers)

• Greater public confidence in the food supply (e.g., though better methods of identification & authentication, and development & refinement of regulations and laws)

Potential Outcomes of AFMNet Potential Outcomes of AFMNet Research

Some Food for Thought

GRACIAS

www.afmnet.ca