Functional Food Centre at Oxford Brookes University

Functional Food Centre at
Oxford Brookes University
Predecessor Nutrition and Food Research Group[1]
Established 2009
Founder Jeya Henry[1]
Type Research centre
Director
 Helen Lightowler[2]
Parent organization
 Oxford Brookes University
Website www.shs.brookes.ac.uk/research/functional-food

The Functional Food Centre at Oxford Brookes University is the first research centre in the United Kingdom dedicated to researching functional foods.[3]

History

The Functional Food Centre at Oxford Brookes University opened in early 2009 with a £300,000 grant from the Higher Education Funding Council for England.[4][5] It was formerly known as the Nutrition and Food Research Group, which had been in existence since 1984.[1] Its founding director, Jeya Henry, is a consultant to the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations on nutrition assessment, food safety and nutrient requirements.[3][6] The centre offers research and consultancy services to the food industry, the United Nations and various Government agencies.[5]

Areas of research

The Functional Food Centre has the goal of providing scientific information about food and health to consumers, government and the food industry.[5] It tests popular claims about food, for example that genetically modified crops will feed the world, that substances such as omega-3 in fish oil will make children more intelligent, or that antioxidants can reduce cancer by removing free radicals.[4] It develops new food products such as low glycemic index bread, which reduces cholesterol and blood sugar levels and help weight loss.[5] It researches lesser-known foods such as breadfruit, cassava, sorghum and millet.[4] The health issues that are its research priorities are diabetes, obesity and the impact of food on age-related problems.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "About us". Functional Food Center. Oxford Brookes University. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  2. ↑ "Centre staff". Functional Food Center. Oxford Brookes University. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  3. 1 2 Sheppard, Stacey. "The best remedy". Next Generation Food. GDS Publishing. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Rose Prince (1 April 2009). "Debunking food myths: the launch of the Functional Food Centre". Telegraph.co.uk.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Reg Little (18 March 2009). "Tackling diseases of affluence". The Oxford Times. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  6. ↑ "Oxford Brookes academic to help set world guidelines on fat consumption" (Press release). Oxford Brookes University. 8 September 2008. Retrieved 2015-09-04.
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