National network to focus on healthier eating

Every aspect of the food you eat is about to be examined by a team of researchers who are promising to help Canadian consumers navigate their way towards a healthier diet.

A national network has been established to follow the food chain from the farmer's field to the grocery store. The Advanced Foods and Materials Network will be based out of the University of Guelph in Ontario.

The network is part of the national Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program and it's the first to focus solely on food. Projects will soon get underway on such hot issues as lowering cholesterol and plant sterols.

The five-year program includes researchers from 29 universities, 32 industries and 29 government departments and could provide some insights for confused consumers.

The network is promising it will help consumers digest the information on food labels. One of their aims is to make the Canadian food supply healthier and safer.

To do that, a team of 87 Canadian researchers will examine almost every aspect of the food we eat -- from its nutritional value to consumer attitudes. They'll be led by Guelph's food science professor Dr. Rickey Yada.

"The unique thing about our network is that we have a large investment in the social sciences. We need to know what consumers are concerned about and how we can help allay those fears," Yada said.

The group has $22 million in federal money to spend. In one project, researchers plan to determine whether red wine is a source of anti-oxidants.

Peter Jones is part of the group that will focus on fats in milk that may reduce the risk of cancer. He said he will be able to rely on researchers across the country.

"The Network will bring scientists together from a whole range of disciplines that is really unprecedented," Jones said.

While Jones will look at the effect of food on health, other researchers will work on developing healthy products. The network, which includes legal experts, will also examine food labelling and regulations.

One issue that will be looked at is whether trans fat should be banned. Many consumers hope the new network will satisfy their appetite for more guidance.

For its part, the network hopes more knowledge will give consumers more confidence at the checkout counter. Yada said the network will join a large number of Canada's leading researchers together for the first time.