The federal and provincial governments have committed $406,000 to the Manitoba Agri- Health Research Network (MARHN) to help advance diet-related solutions for health and agriculture and spur food innovation.
Projects currently underway through MARHN include a joint venture with a Chilean grain company to create and commercialize healthier wheat and oat products.
It’s one of seven equity companies MARHN has created in the past three years. “MARHN has been granted that flexibility to try things slightly differently than we have in the past,” said Lee Anne Murphy, MARHN executive director. “This is our vehicle for advancing that commercialization piece in a pragmatic way.”
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Other projects include discussions with Australian food company using a Manitobadeveloped carrot fibre powder in juice products. It is also in discussions with a government science advisory team in Utah, said Murphy.
The network released a study last spring identifying potential savings in excess of $19 billion annually in the current costs of treating chronic health conditions by incorporating functional foods and nutraceuticals (FFN) into people’s diets.
The three member institutions of the network include the Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine (CCARM) at St. Boniface Hospital, Richardson Centre for Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals at University of Manitoba and the Food Development Centre. [email protected]
