Distinguished Professor Harjinder Singh explains the science behind his Food Science programme

The Food Science team brings together experts from Massey University, AgResearch, the University of Otago and Lincoln University to support the translation of novel scientific insights into high-value export food products.

Foods with science-backed health benefits have been developed and sold around the world for several decades, so we need a good understanding of what is already on the market and what opportunities there are for new high-value export foods. ‘Scanning the Horizon’ will take a close look the health-focused foods that are on the market or under development globally, and it will guide the research on food-health relationships towards promising new avenues where there is scope for innovation and the potential for export growth.

The ‘Bioactive Food Systems’ project, scheduled to start in 2016, will address the need to protect the health-promoting compounds (the ‘bioactives’) in foods during their journey from raw ingredients to finished food products. The Health Programmes will be identifying bioactives that promote optimal health, and the Food Science team will design food ingredients and processes that keep those bioactives in top condition within food products, then release them to the body when those food products are eaten.