multiple disciplines yield multiple benefits in health...
TRANSCRIPT
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