Category Archives: Science

Research and development: science, meat science, food technology, nutrition, nutrients, new product development.

Let the science speak for itself

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As epidemiologists go, Dr Dominik Alexander, is a surprise. He’s young, 39, doesn’t wear glasses or a white coat and is a previous professional kickboxer. However, the leading US epidemiologist also knows his stuff about cancer and nutrition research and he’s been over here in New Zealand sharing his expertise.

With extensive experience in health research methodology and interpretation of epidemiological studies, particularly nutritional epidemiology, Alexander is based in Boulder, Colorado, where he works for engineering and science consultancy firm Exponent Inc in its Health Sciences Centre for epidemiology, biostatistics and computational biology.

He delivers the sobering estimation that one in three people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. The strongest risk factor for cancer, generally, is age.

“With increasing numbers of older people, we are seeing higher rates of cancer and also diabetes and heart disease. This is also the case in developing countries, where the elimination of certain infectious diseases – which would have killed off more of the population early on – and lower infant mortality rates, means a higher rate of cancer and other age-related diseases in the population.”

Relating to nutrition, the types of cancer of concern are those associated with digestion, absorption and elimination such as the most common type, colorectal, through stomach/gastric to the less common oesophageal, pancreatic, liver and other cancers.

As an epidemiologist studying the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease in defined populations, he’s involved in examining exposure and outcome.

“Food is a necessary exposure. All people have to eat,” he says, adding that the result of over-exposure leads to higher Body Mass Index (BMI) rates – overweight to obese – where there is an established increased risk for cancers such as colorectal, the most common cancer affecting the alimentary tract.

In his view, cancer prevention is all about control. The key is a health lifestyle. “It all starts with physical exercise and maintaining a healthy body weight.  In addition you need a well-balanced diet,” he says.

Opinions + assumptions + perception = confusion

Trouble is, as everyone eats, every single person has an opinion on it and the perceptions of the general public, the medical fraternity and the media vary. That’s why the ‘study of the moment’ is leapt on, over-hyped, over-analysed and consequently gets a lot of airtime leading to consumer confusion.

But, you can’t view a single study in isolation, he notes. “Every study needs to be viewed in the context of the available body of scientific views, otherwise it can be misinterpreted.”

Good science is at the heart of good communication, he believes. Dr Alexander’s advice for those communicating with the public is: “Don’t say anything that can’t be backed up by science. Let the science speak for itself and don’t make an interpretation outside the bounds of the scientific results. Given the complexity with this type of product, there needs to be a cautious approach.”

What media get hung up on sometimes is the people funding the research and conflicts of interest. That can negate the worth of the science itself, he believes. “It’s very important to get to the heart of the issue with science and then focus on the science and the scientific basis for comments.”

In his opinion, what makes good evidence is transparency, objectivity, justification for doing the research, rationale and a clear and open basis for research.

“A lot of problems come in when the research is not open and transparent. Say what you’re going to do, do it and show what you learned,” he advocates.

Looking to the future

Looking to the future, we have a long way to go on the preventative side, he says, and continuous updates of cohort studies, don’t always shed light.

“We also lack long-term evidence of differences between organic versus conventional products, for example.

“This all takes us back to the holistic approach and concentrating on the healthy body weights and lifestyle elements.”

Dr Alexander’s articulate delivery comes with a sense of humour and the surprising revelation that he was once a professional kickboxer in the 1990s, before he moved straight to science at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB).

“You could call me the toughest epidemiologist in the world,” he laughs.

At UAB, he was awarded a National Cancer Institute Fellowship for Cancer Prevention and Control and worked closely with the Department of Pathology where he designed and implemented epidemiological studies pertaining to colorectal survival. He is also the 2010 recipient of the UAB School of Public Health Alumnus for scientific excellence.

Dr Dominik Alexander PhD MSHP was invited to Australia and New Zealand in September in a visit jointly organised by Meat & Livestock Australia and Beef + Lamb NZ Inc.

This article appeared in Pen & Palate (October 2012), the NZ Guild of Food Writers’ ezine.

Organic foods not more nutritious, says study

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The argument that organic food, including meat, is more nutritious than conventionally grown food has been cast doubt on by new research, based on an analysis of several hundred studies.

The study by Dr Crystal Smith Spangler and others, published in Annals of Internal Medicine (4 Sept), is the most comprehensive meta-analysis to date of existing studies comparing organic and conventional foods. Researchers analysed 237 separate studies which compared the organic foods to conventionally grown foods. They did not find strong evidence that organic foods are more nutritious or carry fewer health risks than conventional alternatives, though consumption of organic foods can reduce the risk of pesticide exposure.

As for what the findings mean for consumers, the researchers said their aim is to educate people, not to discourage them from making organic purchases. “If you look beyond health effects, there are plenty of other reasons to buy organic instead of conventional,” noted lead researcher Dena Bravata, from Standford University. She listed taste preferences and concerns about the effects of conventional farming practices on the environment and animal welfare as some of the reasons people choose organic products.

Professor Alan Dangour of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says like a review he and others conducted in 2009, this latest study “again demonstrates there are no important differences in nutrient content between organic and conventionally produced foods.” It also finds no evidence that organic foods are healthier than conventionally produced foods, he adds.

Organic driven by risk aversion

The majority of people who eat organic food are driven by risk aversion not nutritional superiority, believes Liza Oates, a PhD researcher into the health effects of organic diets and course coordinator of Food as Medicine, Wellness and Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the Master of Wellness Programme at RMIT University in Melbourne.

“Our research shows organic consumers are more interested in what’s not in their food – such as pesticides and antibiotics – than what is. Most also say that the environmental and social benefits of organic food play a key role in their decision to go organic.”

She points to US research that has shown that eating organic food has a dramatic effect on pesticide residues in children. “Substituting non-organic fruits and vegetables with organics for five days resulted in an almost complete reduction in organophosphate pesticide residues. It is this kind of benefit that many organic consumers are looking for when choosing to buy organic food,” says Oates.

 

Channelling innovation

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The Government released the second of its six progress reports –  Building Innovation – under its Business Growth Agenda this week. The move has been welcomed by the Meat Industry Association (MIA).

Building innovation is central to building a more competitive and productive economy, said Prime Minister John Key at a business breakfast launch for the report earlier this week, adding that it gives a clear picture of the more than 50 policy initiatives the Government has underway to improve innovation, competition and the commercialisation of smart ideas and research into new products.

It calls for a doubling of the amount businesses spend on research and development, from 0.54 percent of GDP to more than one percent of GDP.

MIA chief executive Tim Ritchie has welcomed the report, saying that the meat industry is “all for anything that helps in that area.” Industry is very interested in innovation and already has a number of initiatives in place, he says.

“Individual members are involved with a number of Primary Growth Partnership projects, while the industry has also invested in Ovine Automation Ltd, a consortium of nine MIA member companies and the government that is looking at bringing a step change in sheep processing through the use of automation.”

This all adds to innovations individual meat companies are working on in their own workplaces, like Silver Fern Farms’ robotics projects, Ritchie explains.

New Advanced Technology Institute

Meat exporters will also benefit in the future from the new Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) that was announced this week will be named after the late Sir Paul Callaghan. It is to receive $166 million over the next four years and is one of the initiatives to grow business research and development further.

The Institute will be a one-stop shop that will help high-tech firms become more competitive by better connecting them with innovation and business development expertise within the institute, around the country and internationally, Steven Joyce, science and innovation minister says.

‘It will focus on industries with significant growth potential such as food and beverage manufacturing, agri-technologies, digital technologies, health technologies and therapeutics manufacturing and high-value wood products.

“The ATI will take over some business development functions that are currently within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. This will include the administration of some business research and development grants,” Joyce says.

A seven member establishment board has been tasked with having the ATI up and running by the end of the year. Chaired by Sue Suckling, who led the set up of AsureQuality NZ and NZQA, other board members include Industrial Research Ltd (IRL) director and former New Zealand Game Industry Board and Cervena Ltd chairman Richard Janes and Dr Michele Allan, who has leadership experience across many facets of the Australian food industry. They join IRL chair Michael Ludbrook, entrepreneur Neville Jordan, Auckland Transport director Paul Lockey and Plant and Food Research chair Michael Ahie.

Strong support in business community

Business NZ says that there is strong support in the business community for the Government’s systematic approach to building innovation. The ATI is a centrepiece of the innovation policy, says BNZ chief executive Phil O’Reilly.

“But there are many other initiatives including expanded TechNZ funding, better, government procurement policies, National Science challenges, more funding for the Performance-Based Research Fund, refinement of trademark and patents law, more investment in engineering at tertiary institutes, encouragement for multi-nationals to conduct research in NZ and others.

“It is up to business to innovate and grow and take up the Government’s invitation to keep the lines of communication open and provide feedback on how we are travelling towards a high-tech future.”

I’ll just print me a steak …

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Traditional meat exporters will need to consider future protein competition coming from outside the box in the future, as new technology is attracting innovation funding around the world.

One such piece of research, by a US company called Modern Meadow, has this week gained between US$250,000-300,000 for a tissue engineering project. Modern Meadow is said to be developing a fundamentally new approach to meat and leather production, “which is based on the latest advances in tissue engineering and causes no harm to animals.”

The news was announced by the US-based Thiel Foundation, set up by one of the founders of PayPal Peter Thiel. It was one of three new grants, awarded through its Breakout Labs programme. This is a revolutionary revolving fund to promote innovation in science and technology. The two other grants went to medical and therapeutic innovations.

According to Breakout, Modern Meadow co-founders Gabor and Andras Forgas respectively invented and helped to commercialise bio-printing, a technology that builds tissues and organ structures based on the computer-controlled delivery of cells in three dimensions. The two previously co-founded Oganovo,a a San Diego-based regenerative medicine company which applies bio-printing to a range of medical applications including drug discovery, drug testing and ultimately transplant tissues. They plan to use the Breakout Labs funding to apply the latest advances in tissue engineering beyond medicine to produce novel consumer biomaterials, including an edible cultured meat prototype that can provide a humane and sustainable source of animal protein to consumers around the world.

“Breakout Labs is a much-needed source of funding and support for emerging technologies like ours,” says Andras Forgacs. “Investors across the board have become more risk-averse and yet early funding is critical to enable truly innovative ideas.”

Modern Meadow, based in Missouri, is combining regenerative medicine with 3D printing to imagine an economic and compassionate solution to a global problem, says Lindy Fisbhurne, Breakout Labs’ executive director. “We hope our support will help propel them through the early stage of their development so they can turn their inspired vision to reality.”

Launched in November 2011, Breakout Labs provides teams of researchers in early-stage companies with the means to pursue their most radical goals in science and technology. To date, the fund has awarded a total of nine grants, of up to $350,000 each. Breakout Labs accepts and funds proposals on a rolling basis.

Although very early days as yet, the concept supported by the fund could bring printing your own steak for the barbie nearer to reality, but just don’t expect it in the near future.

The Modern Meadow innovation is not alone in attempting to solve the world’s future protein needs. New Zealand’s Riddet Institute is also working on the joint PROTEOS project with its counterpart Wageningen University in The Netherlands, “formulating novel solutions that involve extending and using more effectively future animal-based protein sources, transforming the protein supply chain” – essentially growing meat in the laboratory. Project plans involving staff from both organisations will be finalised this year.

 

 

 

New protein science team in Christchurch

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Industrial Research Ltd is setting up a new protein science team, led by Andrew Muscroft-Taylor, that will be based at the University of Canterbury’s Biomolecular Interaction Centre in Christchurch and will be assisted with PhD and masters students from the university. In addition, IRL’s unit in Christchurch will also include a Manufacturing Innovation Group that will be assisting companies solve their problems with engineering.

A Stuff article ‘Science team formed to help firms‘ includes an interesting case-study about IRL’s work with gelatine factory Gelita NZ, which makes the product from cow-hide at it’s Woolston plant, which was badly hit during the Christchurch earthquakes. After rebuilding the factory, Gelita/IRL are now turning their attention to reducing gelatine odour which would help it target the pharmaceutical industry with gelatine capsules, which require a higher quality of gelatine. Read more …

New science adviser for MPI

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Dr Ian Ferguson MNZM has been appointed to the newly created position of Departmental Science Adviser for the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) and will take up his part-time role from mid-September.

Announcing the appointment, MPI deputy director of policy Paul Stocks said that it is an exceptionally important role for the Ministry. “I am confident that Dr Ferguson will provide strong science leadership to ensure that MPI is well connected across government and with the science community and will continue to provide high quality scientific advice.”

The role focuses on the key areas of quality assurance of science inputs into regulatory decision making; strategic direction for science investment; and ensuring MPI is able to effectively deal with emerging risks and opportunities.

Dr Ferguson is well known in the science community, both nationally and internationally. He has been the chief scientist of crown research institute Plant and Food Research (and formerly HortResearch) since 2003. He has a science background in plant and fruit physiology, postharvest and horticultural science, biochemistry and biotechnology. He has also been a member of the New Zealand government funding and review panels and bodies, including being on the Marsden Council and the Rutherford Discovery Fellowship panel.

Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, the Prime Minister’s chief science adviser says the role is critical for government if New Zealand is to maximise the benefits of evidence-based policy.

The role is for a three year term and is part-time. Dr Ferguson will continue in a science role with Plant and Food Research.

 

In the news this week (3)

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People are key to the success of Riddet Institute’s Agri-Food Strategy wrote Jon Morgan in a Dominion Post opinion piece early on last week. “The prize is too great to abandon,” he said.

So, focus is now shifting to the week-long chief executives’ Primary Sector Boot Camp at Stanford University in California later this month, which will be attended by over 20 chief executives including meat industry leaders Keith Cooper of Silver Fern Farms and Mark Clarkson of ANZCO Foods, alongside Minister of Primary Industries David Carter. On the table for discussion will be the Agri-Food Strategy.

Agmardt is principal sponsor of the private sector-led chief executive forum designed to unlock the global potential of New Zealand’s primary sector. At the time of the sponsorship announcement at the end of April, Jeff Grant chairman of the Agmardt board of trustees said he regarded the boot camp as an ideal fit under the grant body’s new strategic priorities.

“A key outcome of the boot camp is to explore and drive in-market collaboration within New Zealand’s primary sector, which is strongly aligned with Agmardt’s new strategy to fund activities that enable New Zealand agribusiness to identify and explore potential opportunities within the global marketplace.”

Grant said the willingness by senior industry leaders to be involved in the camp to discuss and explore strategies for greater collaboration and alignment across a wide range of primary industries, “is extremely encouraging.”

Other supporters of the Primary Sector Boot Camp, which will comprise leaders from the dairy, beef, sheep, seafood, viticulture and horticulture sectors, include the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Ministry for Primary Industries and NZ Trade and Enterprise.

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Other news appearing over the week included:

Protein sources of the future –A new New Zealand/Dutch study has outlined the coming challenges to meeting future demand for protein. In a review published this week in the journal Trends in Food Science and Technology, Dr Mike Boland from the Riddet Institute and his colleagues at the Wageningen University in the Netherlands have drawn on a range of research sources to peer into the future of the world’s food supply. They say, as demand is outstripping supply of meat, mankind will “need to get creative” with its protein sources, considering competition between humans and pet food industries, noting that rabbits and other novel animal species, “should not be discounted as having an important part to play in future animal protein production systems,” and speculate that there may be ways to derive dietary protein from food waste from biofuel crop leftovers. Whatever happens, consumer acceptance will be key, say the authors.

New NZTE chairman – Interesting to note that former Fonterra chief executive, Andrew Ferrier, has been named as the new chairman of the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) board. Replacing Jon Mayson, he will commence his three year term on 1 November. Announcing the appointment, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce says that Ferrier will bring “strong governance and strategic capability to the NZTE board”. Ferrier is a director of Orion Health Ltd and CANZ Capital Ltd. He was appointed to the University of Auckland Council in March 2012. Prior to his work with Fonterra, he was involved with the global sugar industry. Born in Canada, he has been a New Zealand citizen since 2008.

A new Code of Welfare for Meat Chickens came into effect on 26 July, setting out the minimum standards and best practice guidelines for the poultry industry. The new Code replaces the Code of Welfare for Broiler Chickens that was released in 2003. The new Code has a broader scope and includes chickens that have access to the outdoors, says the National Animal Welfare Advisory Council (NAWAC). “Another key change is that farmers will have to take the environment of the chicken into account when deciding how many chickens to keep in a designated area,” NAWAC chair John Hellström says. “Farmers will also be required to stay within the minimum standards for stocking density, but they will now have to also consider things like litter quality, lighting, air quality and temperature when deciding how to house their chickens.” Find out more here.

NZUS Council sponsors MPs visit to Washington – Two MPs Peseta Sam Lotu-Liga and Hon Shane Jones, co-chairs of the New Zealand US Parliamentary Friendship Group, recently returned from a successful NZUS Council sponsored visit to Washington DC. The visit – particularly timely given the stage of the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations – raised NZ’s profile and also gave the MPS the chance to gain valuable insights about US negotiating interests. In a full programme over a four-day visit, the MPs met with members of the Friends of NZ Congressional Caucus and a range of Congressional representatives and had meetings with senior officials in the State Department, Treasury and US Trade Representative’s office. They were also guests of honour at a well-attended lunch hosted by the US NZ Council. Other guests included Congressional staff, senior US company executives and Council members and supporters. The NZ US Council met the costs of the MPs domestic travel in the US and related on-the-ground costs. Arrangements in Washington were made by the New Zealand Embassy.

World price slump put lamb back on Kiwi menus – the NZ Herald reported over the weekend on the news that prices for Kiwi consumers are down too and they are responding enthusiastically. Read more… 

Finally, with the London Olympics in full swing this week, it seems only right to congratulate all of the Kiwi athletes, but particularly B+LNZ Inc’s bronze medal award-winning Iron Maidens Rebecca Scown and Juliette Haigh for their  success in the women’s pairs (rowing) and Alison Shanks (cyclist) for her tremendous efforts in the team event. All the best now to Sarah Walker (BMX) for her event yet to come on the world sports stage. Go Team NZ!!


 

 

 

 

 

International biotechnology conference hosted in Rotorua in September

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The world’s agricultural biotechnology leaders are heading to Rotorua  in September to gather for ABIC, the world’s top agbiotech conference, hosted by New Zealand’s biotechnology industry organisation NZBIO with support from its Australian counterpart AusBiotech.

With up to 400 internationally represented delegates and 60 experts expected to attend, including a large delegation from the Asia-Pacific region, the United States and the UK, this is  an opportunity to meet the key players involved in technologies that will fast track the development of affordable bio-based products including bio-fuels.

With the global industrial biotechnology industry set to grow by more than 400 per cent over the next five years, ABIC 2012 organisers say the industry’s potential to revolutionise sectors such as energy and consumer products will be an important topic in Rotorua.

“In those areas, there is a huge flowering of research and business uniting organisations ranging from chemical companies to agbiotech firms and energy providers,” says Elspeth MacRae, general manager manufacturing and bioproducts at crown research institute Scion and a member of the ABIC programme committee.

Among the international leaders confirmed to attend the agricultural biotechnology event is Dr Gunter Festel, the founder of Swiss-based investment firm Festel Capital, which is putting considerable capital into bio-energy projects. Also attending, is Michael Christiansen who heads the China arm of Novozymes, producer of a wide range of bio-solutions, including enzymes suitable for bio-fuel production. Additionally, United States energy crop producer Ceres is sending its chief scientific officer, Dr Richard Flavell.

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) wants to talk to NZ companies who are seeking collaborations with UK agricultural biotechnology organisations and are interested in investing in Britain.

This is the twelfth ABIC conference.

More information about ABIC can be found at http://www.abic2012.com/ or contact Paul Tuckley, UKTI trade development manager by email [email protected] or phone 09 303 5017, mobile 021 337778.

Big Food attack

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We’re keeping an eye on a series of debate-provoking articles appearing in PLoS Medicine, an international open access medical journal on the topic of ‘Big Food’ – essentially the power of big multinational food and beverage companies.

Several articles commissioned by the magazine are scheduled to appear over the next three weeks. The first, entitled Big Food, Food Systems and Global Health and written by series guest editors David Stuckler of Cambridge University and Marion Nestle of New York University, asks ‘Who rules global food systems?’

“By and large it’s Big Food, by which we refer to multinational food and beverage companies with huge and concentrated market power,” they answer, describing the international public health response so far to Big Food as a “failure to act.”

Another article draws parallels between the public relations efforts of some soda drink companies and those used by tobacco product manufacturers, highlighting several ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR) campaigns that distract from their products’ health risks.

Stuckler and Nestle’s article focuses on the spread of energy-dense, nutrient poor (EDNP) foods around the globe to which several New Zealand experts have responded.

Get the food industry out of policy making

Dr Gabrielle Jenkin of the Department of Public Health, University of Otago Wellington agrees with the papers and is highlighting key areas where there needs to be urgent action here in New Zealand. This includes the introduction of traffic light labelling on the front of food, getting junk food out of schools, banning junk food marketing to children at least (including sponsorship of sport) and the regulation of food composition (fat, salt and sugar and, where possible, regulate portion sizes).

She also calls to “Get the food industry out of policy making,” adding that health policy is a conflict of interest for much of the food industry.

“We also have the food industry co-opting nutrition experts and commissioning their own research (some of this was presented to the Health Select Committee Inquiry into obesity).”

By framing the issue as ‘unhealthy food’ (EDNP foods), rather than ‘obesity’ you avoid “stigmatising the impact of the obesity frame and its individualising implications. This turns the focus to the real problem … the food industry,” she says.

Develop supportive policy environments

The opposition shown by some food manufacturers to the traffic light-labelling scheme is reminiscent of tobacco manufacturers’ opposition to health warnings and plain packaging, says Professor Janet Hoek of the University of Otago’s Department of Marketing.

“We should develop supportive policy environments that restrain the more rampant marketing activities known to influence people’s choices and, at the same time, introduce measures that help consumers make better food choices. We need first to change the food marketing environment so healthy eating (or unhealthy food avoidance) campaigns can have more effect.

“As Stuckler and Nestle point out in their essay, food manufacturers have a goal of maximising the profit they deliver to their shareholders, so it is unrealistic to expect them to be accountable for public health goals as well as profit goals. The best option is for governments to show leadership, drawn on the available research evidence, restrain the marketing that can be undertaken and provide consumers with information they can actually see and use.”

 

David Bayvel moves to WSPA

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A familiar face in New Zealand animal welfare is taking on a new international role.

As of 1 July, Dr David Bayvel QSO – who recently retired as director of animal welfare for MAF – will join the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) as Chief Veterinary Adviser. His newly created part-time role will be replacing the role held by Dr David Wilkins from 2004-2012.

In his new role, Bayvel will help to ensure that WSPA is working at the heart of the veterinary profession around the world to support and advance animal welfare. This will include working with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) on the drafting of standards to ensure the implementaton of international standards and laws to protect the welfare of animals, says WSPA. He will also advise on WSPA’s programmes supporting the education of veterinarians through specially designed animal welfare training modules.

A renowned expert in the fields of animal welfare and veterinary science, Bayvel’s career has taken him around the world in the past four decades, including posts in private and public sector organisations and veterinary practice promoting ethical care and treatment of animals. He recently retired from the position of director of animal welfare for New Zealand MAF. He chaired the OIE ad hoc export group meeting on animal welfare and chaired the permanent OIE Animal Welfare working group from 2002-2012. He will now move to represent the International Coalition for Animal Welfare on this important OIE group.

Bayvel says he’s honoured to join WSPA. “I have long admired WSPA’s measured approach to animal welfare and its commitment to improving the conditions for animals around the world. WSPA has a proven track record on the world stage of forging collaborations with other key international NGOs and governments to have a lasting positive impact for animals and their communities.”

Dr Wilkins is to continue his involvement with WSPA, working on several special projects.