Commercial prospects for NZ marine lipids

Media Release
1 November 2010

International forum strengthens commercial prospects for NZ marine lipids

International experts are gathering in Wellington today as part of a new collaboration between Industrial Research Limited (IRL) and world-leading Japanese researchers to enable a path to market for high-value New Zealand ingredients for functional foods.

IRL is hosting this second workshop entitled “Beneficial Marine Lipids as Ingredients for Functional Foods” arising from this research project. The first workshop, held in Tokyo in April 2010, involved a program of scientific presentations open to Japanese researchers, industry and science representatives and media.

Lipids are a large and diverse group of naturally occurring organic compounds. The group includes Omega-3 fatty acids and their derivatives and substances related biosynthetically or functionally to these compounds.
Lipids are effective in the treatment of disease, and can also play a role in brain and cardiovascular health, combating the effects of aging, reducing the impact of dementia, maintaining bone health and helping development and growth in children.

Extracts from New Zealand marine resources are currently being assessed for usability in the treatment of osteoporosis, prostate enlargement, fatigue, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, liver damage, and inflammatory disorders.
The lipids will be extracted and fractionated using supercritical extraction and related green processing technologies.

It is anticipated that the expertise of the Japanese researchers in functional food regulations and links to industry will facilitate the development of commercially successful products.

This workshop provides a unique opportunity for New Zealand industry, researchers, academics and students and leading bioactivity and functional food researchers from Japanese institutes to collaborate to achieve world-class scientific results, leading towards new innovative technologies and new products.

ends

© Scoop Media