NZ collaborates with Singapore on Foods for Health projects

The New Zealand Government has pledged to invest NZ$1.75 million in collaborative research projects with Singapore to develop food products with validated health benefits.

The Singaporean Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) will match New Zealand’s investment, bringing the total investment to around NZ$3.5 million over two years.

“Ensuring that New Zealand has strong international science and innovation relationships is critical. Our small size means we contribute a very small proportion of the world’s research and development activity. Therefore, sharing knowledge and working collaboratively with countries such as Singapore is a very important part of developing our own innovations,” said NZ Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce.

“At the same time, our innovative food scientists and technologies have given New Zealand an international reputation as a producer of high-quality and safe food products, which makes this collaboration an exciting opportunity for Singapore.”

Five projects have been selected to receive funding:

• Plant & Food Research in collaboration with Singapore Polytechnic, National University of Singapore and A*STAR’s Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences will research Singaporean consumer attitudes and preferences;
• The University of Otago in collaboration with A*STAR’s Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences and National University Health System will research weaning foods as drivers of bowel microbiota: implications for child growth and obesity;
• Massey University, the University of Auckland and AgResearch in collaboration with the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, A*STAR-NUS and A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering will research biomarker development and validation for use in human clinical studies of food in Asian populations;
• The University of Auckland in collaboration with the National University of Singapore and A*STAR’s Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences will research biomarker development for personalised pregnancy diet; and
• AgResearch in collaboration with A*STAR’s Institute of Materials Research and Engineering will research encapsulation technology for delivering bioactives to the surface of the small intestine.

The Singapore-New Zealand collaboration is a result of a Memorandum of Arrangement being signed between the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and A*STAR in June 2013. The Arrangement allowed Singapore and New Zealand to launch a joint request for research proposals on ‘Foods for Health’ in December 2013.

Contracts for the collaborative projects will commence in June 2014 and will be funded through the NZ Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s International Relationships Fund.