The Opportunity

A massive shift is happening

The health of Canadians is directly related to the food and nutrition opportunities and individual choices. The wealth of Canadians is supported by the food, health and agriculture sector which employs more people in Canada than any other. We've been living in an era of unprecedented prosperity in terms of the variety and quantity of food and food products, and commercial and industrial goods. The necessities of life (and many of its luxuries) have never been so abundant, widely accessible and relatively inexpensive. But a new emphasis is emerging.

Canadians are beginning to recognize some of the cumulative costs - there are new stresses emerging in our lifestyles and our environment. So our attention is shifting to issues of food, health, biomaterials and sustainability.

And there lies an exciting opportunity for new thinking, good science and better practices. The Advanced Foods and Materials Network is providing the leadership to keep Canada, and Canadian businesses, on the forefront of that change.

A unique approach to a new opportunity

AFMNet is networking experts across the nation to cultivate groundbreaking research, and its practical applications, in the critical areas of food for health and bio-materials (as in biological origin). We are forming a network of thinkers and doers who are advancing Canada's standing as a leader in this area of research and commercial development.

Participation is everything

AFMNet's approach is unique - we are drawing together highly qualified personnel from across the country who are experts in a range of complementary disciplines: scientists, engineers, academics, health researchers, social scientists, lawyers and public policy experts. Together, they are bringing interdisciplinary perspectives and methods to dozens of research projects addressing the consumer and industry's opportunities and problems. The anticipation is rising and the momentum is building.

And the results are already coming in

AFMNet's research projects are organized along four themes:

1. Nanoscience Related to Food and Bio-Materials: the structure, behaviour and function of foods and bio-materials - what happens in food and plant-based materials at the molecular and cellular levels;
2. Food, Nutrition and Health: functional foods and nutraceuticals (foods and bio-materials for specific health benefits and medical uses);
3. Consumer Attitudes and Behavior in Conjunction wit Regulatory Policy: economic, environmental and social issues, such as consumer attitudes, government regulation and public policy.
4. Traceability and Authenticity of Foods and Food Ingredients: develop the ability to trace and authenticate a food ingredient or finished product through it supply chain has significant economic and social impacts.

Food first

AFMNet is working on improving food and food processing, with a higher priority on nutritional value and increased health benefits, such as the way peptides and amino acids can improve gut health, or how the omega-3 fatty acids from fish can reduce heart disease.

And the potential impact is huge. For instance, by using nutraceuticals that lowers blood cholesterol, instead of a pharmaceutical drug, we could save Canadians over $3billion a year. That's 3% of our annual health care budget. Meanwhile, our national health costs are rising 7% per year, so you can see the magnitude of both the situation, and the potential benefits of finding solutions.

Material progress

Or how about something as mundane as a child's skinned knee? Instead of an antibiotic cream and plastic bandage (quickly flapping around loose and perfect for trapping dirt) what about a brush-on gel impregnated with healing agents? We're on that one too, and working on getting that technology to market.

Novel healthy replacements for unhealthy oils

With respect to nutrition there are three types of saturated fats;

1. Saturated fats such as palmitic and myristic acid. These are found in palm oil and are considered dangerous for cardiovascular health;
2. Saturated fats such conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) found in milk. CLA is important for good nutrition; and
3. Saturated fats such as stearic acid that are neutral to cardiovascular health.

Researchers from the University of Guelph and founders of Coasun Inc. (Guelph, ON) have developed a trans-fat free spreadable food product as a shortening or butter replacement in baked goods. This product replaces palm oil with soybean and canola oils.

The spreadable food product maintains its structure and rheological properties through diverse heat ranges, making it ideal for extending shelf life and use in areas such as South America, where average temperatures are high. The group is currently involved in formulation of their product into existing baked products. Activities currently being undertaken are product development and optimization of sensory properties, shelf life, and quality control.

The founders of Coasun have recently incorporated a company in the US, Teton Botanicals, which has licensed the technology to incorporate it into cosmeceuticals. Specifically, Teton Botanicals will be aiming to bring a hand cream to market mid summer of 2010 containing no petroleum products or preservatives.

The first major brand products containing Coasun technology are set to hit the market in Europe in early 2011. Because Coasun technology replaces palm oil with soybean or canola oil the entire Canadian agri-food system will benefit.

Beyond the lab benchM

So you can see why AFMNet's emphasis on interdisciplinary perspectives and participation will help scientific discoveries out of the lab, into industry and commercial application, and then into the everyday lives of Canadians.

This also makes AFMNet projects ideal training grounds and experience for young researchers en route to careers in industry, business and the public service. And we've made their participation an important element of our program as an investment in the future of Canadian research.

Ultimately, the energy, interest and information shared across our network of people and projects will reinforce Canada's stature as a leader in the pursuit of a better quality of life which will enhance and balance the abundance we have helped to create.