Dutch firms unite vs obesity
A number of ingredient manufacturers and research institutes will pool their expertise in the fight against obesity in a project that will be subsidised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs in The Netherlands.
The aim of the project is to develop and produce healthier food products and ingredients that will help offset the negative health risks associated with obesity. It will be coordinated by the University of Wageningen and will involve eight other companies and research institutes.
Organisations taking part in the study include the Molecular Nanofabrication group at the University of Twente, research group Nijmegen Proteomics en Metabolomics Faciliteiten at UMC St Radboud, cheese specialist Zijerveld, deli manufacturer Zwanenberg Food Group, plus ingredients firms Barentz Ingredients, Previtas, Ollyxa and Newtricious.
Ingredients company Newtricious, for example, has expertise in bioactive peptides as nutraceutical and functional food ingredients for combating the risk factors of metabolic syndrome, which is associated with obesity. Newtricious has been conducting studies to determine if bioactive peptides selected from different protein sources, such as milk and egg protein, have an effect on blood pressure and insulin resistance.
The collaborative project is part of the Dutch government's Pieken in de Delta-Oost Nederland programme, which funds innovative studies that are of economic and social interest. "Many inhabitants in the east of The Netherlands are overweight," according to the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. "Obesity increases the chances of heart and coronary diseases, joint problems, some types of cancer and other diseases.
"It also leads to above average sickness absenteeism in the workplace, which in turn generates higher healthcare costs.
"In combating obesity, even a little weight loss could already lead to an improvement in health and welfare. Sickness absenteeism will be reduced due to the improved health status of employees.
"This project would also give rise to more local employment opportunities and improve the economic standing of this region."
