Kerry Establishes Health and Nutrition Institute, Supported by Scientific Advisory Council
20 Oct 2015 --- As the global focus on nutrition and general wellness continues to take centre stage, Kerry today announced the launch of the Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute. Supported by a Scientific Advisory Council, the Institute aims to provide expert insight into the science and policy of health, taste, nutrition and general wellness. To make the Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute easily accessible to health and nutrition professionals, a website by the same name has been launched simultaneously.
The Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute has three guiding principles:
• To educate on health and wellness market trends and to provide knowledge on nutritional considerations across life stages and need states
• To connect with the global scientific community on regulatory and policy matters, and evolutions in scientific research
• To advance scientific knowledge to help deliver great tasting, nutritious food and beverages, and to advance Kerry’s nutrition research programme
Across the globe, public health challenges such obesity and diabetes are increasingly prevalent across all ages and in all corners of the globe. This has substantially increased the focus on improving the nutritional quality of food supply to enable more nutritious and healthier food and beverage choices, while maintaining convenience. Despite this taste remains the most important factor to 41% of consumers globally when choosing food or drink products meaning that manufacturers cannot afford to look at nutrition in isolation. Satya Jonnalagadda, Ph.D., MBA, RD, Director of Global Nutrition at Kerry said, “The challenges we are facing in terms of public health are varied, complex and are at a global scale. Action is needed at industry, social and individual level to tackle crises, such as the obesity epidemic. As a taste and nutrition leader, we want to help guide the development of evidence based products that will have a significant impact on health and still taste great."
The Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute is supported by a Scientific Advisory Council (pictured), which is made up of recognised leaders in nutrition science and research:
• Sharon Donovan, Ph.D., RD, Professor of Nutrition at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• Christine Loscher, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Immunology at Dublin City University
• Joanne Slavin, Ph.D., RD, Professor of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota
Council members augment the Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute with their learnings on scientific advancements in the areas of general wellness and nutrition for future nutritional and technology innovation. The Institute is also supported by internal Kerry advisors, who bring a wealth of knowledge in taste and nutrition.
“These prominent experts hailing from exceptional institutions will help Kerry, through the Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute, achieve its commitment to discovering new nutritional technologies and applications, and ultimately help consumers around the globe pursue healthier lifestyles with innovative and great tasting nutritional solutions”, said Albert McQuaid, PhD, Chief Technology Officer, Functional Ingredients & Actives.
The Kerry Health and Nutrition institute aims to advance scientific knowledge by educating and advising on key scientific developments. Members of the Scientific Advisory Council will use their science-based expertise in nutritional science to provide guidance on Kerry’s nutrition research programme, which includes:
• Digestive Health
• Appetite Modulation
• Maternal Health
• Immunity
• Muscle Development & Maintenance
• Cognition
• Glycaemic Management
Scientific and health professionals, customers, industry stakeholders, regulatory professionals and indeed consumers are invited to engage with the Institute by suggesting topics for further exploration e.g. via a blog, white paper, research paper, regulatory information etc.
