Health and wealth from foods - challenges and opportunities
Event Details
- Date:
- Tuesday, 04 November 2014
- Time:
- 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
- Room:
- Level 3, Large Seminar Room
- UQ Location:
- Queensland Bioscience Precinct (St Lucia)
- URL:
- http://www.qaafi.uq.edu.au/qaafi-science-seminars-2014
- Event category(s):
Event Contact
- Name:
- Mrs Luba Kakoychenko
- Phone:
- 62092
- Email:
- l.kakoychenko@uq.edu.au
- Org. Unit:
- Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation
Event Description
- Full Description:
- Presented by Prof. Mike Gidley
Director of the Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences
Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI)
ABSTRACT
Food is a global business with increasing opportunities for consumers to experience diverse cuisines. In contrast, the economic benefits of very large scale production backed up by high levels of advertising spend is leading to a more homogeneous global fast food culture, often with negative nutritional and health consequences. This presentation will address both the developing understanding of links between food and health as well as the opportunities for countries like Australia to create distinctive food export industries, and attempt to show that the two are connected.
The goal of improving the health of individuals and populations through food is a complex one with multiple factors. Despite common understanding and promotion of dietary patterns which have a statistical probability of reducing disease susceptibility, the current approach of simplifying foods to goodies (= eat more) and baddies (= eat less) can only go so far in achieving the desired aims because of its simplicity. Some specific challenges and opportunities arise from the following facts:
1. Health prospects result from Diet x Lifestyle x Genetics
2. Diet effects on health come from the integration of meal / food / ingredient effects
3. Nutritional value derives from food structure effects as well as the sum of ingredients
A common approach to enhancing nutritional value is to go back to the future by re-introducing more foods obtained directly from agriculture rather than using energy-intensive processing to refine ingredients which are then re-assembled into foods. In a world with increasing pressure on energy costs and usage, it is possible that economic and health drivers may come together to stimulate the development of less highly processed convenient and tasty foods without negative nutritional consequences, by converting agricultural produce more directly into ready to (h)eat foods.
The characteristic foods of a country or region form an important part of the cultural heritage, and also provide opportunities for developing food export industries. Informed consumers are increasingly interested in the origin of their food, not only for safety reassurance but also for distinctive sensory or nutritional properties. Understanding and tailoring these properties may drive high value export industries for foods with a uniquely (regional) Australian provenance.
Directions to UQ
- Google Map:
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- Directions:
- St Lucia Campus | Gatton campus.
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