Drink FUNCTIONAL FOODS AND FOOD INNOVATION THE FINNISH CASE PROF. KAISA POUTANEN VTT Biotechnology & University of Kuopio Kaisa.Poutanen@vtt.fi 8 th Annual Conference of TCI Hong Kong 10 November 2005
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Population: Area: Language: 5,2 million 340 000 square km Finnish Three strong sectors of the national economy electronics and electrical industry, forest industry metal and engineering industries
R&D INVESTMENTS IN SOME OECD COUNTRIES
R&D INVESTMENTS IN FINLAND http://www.tekes.fi/eng/innovation/policy/investmentpros.htm
THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME While the world s food is getting better, the diet is getting worse Never before have so many tools been available to improve nutrition and food economics. But never before has there been so much concern. The Economist December 13 th, 2003
MOTIVATION FOR FINDING DIETARY MEANS TO ASSIST IN COMBAT AGAINST CHRONIC DISEASES Increasing: Ageing Obesity Diabetes Heart disease Cancer Osteoporosis, allergies... Healthcare costs
FUNCTIONAL FOOD? Contains one or several components is such quantity, which adequately and positively effects one or several functions which have influence on well-being and maintaining health and/or disease risk reduction (ILSI Europe) Foods that, by virtue of physiologically active food components, provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition (ILSI North America)
CONSUMER Basic metabolic requirements Improved functions Risk reduction Disease prevention Disease treatment COMMUNICATION (CLAIMS) FOODS, NUTRITION & LIFESTYLE INDUSTRY DRUGS & MEDICAL CARE SOCIETY
Healthy & well Healthy with minor disorders CONSUMER GROUPS WITH DIFFERENT HEALTH STATUS; HOW TO PROMOTE WELL-BEING? Physically inactive Overweight Those at disease risk Obese Hypercholesterolemic Impaired glucose tolerance Elevated blood pressure Those with a disease Diabetes Heart disease
MAIN EMPHASIS ON NUTRITION AND EDUCATION/POLICY IN FINLAND Pekka Puska, director, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland Historically Preventing various deficiences Chronic disease prevention since 70 s Reduction of blood cholesterol and blood pressure levels Currently Also weight control and prevention of diabetes
FINLAND A small country with many networks High level science on nutrition and medicine High-tech appreciated Authorities and education respected
SHORT HISTORY OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS IN FINLAND 70 s North Karelia project/diet and prevention of cardiovascular deseases 70-80 s Prevention of dental caries/xylitol 80-90 s Probiotics for gut health/ LGG 90 s Lowering cholesterol/benecol 90 s Dietary fibre, whole grains and phytochemicals, services for dietary education
AGE-ADJUSTED MORTALITY RATES OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE IN NORTH KARELIA.. and the whole of Finland among males aged 35-64 years from 1969 to 2002. Mortality per 100 000 population 700 Start of the North Karelia Project 600 Extension of the Project nationally 500 North Karelia 400 300-82 % 200 All Finland -75% 100 69 72 75 78 81 84 87 90 93 96 99 2002 Year
EXAMPLES OF COMMERCIAL INGREDIENTS WITH HEALTH CLAIMS, DEVELOPED IN FINLAND Trade name Active ingredient Effect Company Xylitol Xylitol Caries Danisco www.xylitolinfo.com Lactobacillus GG (LGG) Probiotic bacteria Rotavirus diarrhea Allergic infections Valio www.valio.fi/lgg/ Benecol Sitostanol Cholesterol Raisiogroup, www.benecol.fi Dimicol Plant sterols Cholesterol Teriaka www.diminicol.com Natureal Oat Bran (OBC) Beta-glucan Cholesterol, Glycemic response FinnCereal Oat Ingredients www.natureal.fi
FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY IN FINLAND In Finland, food and health has been defined as a national research area Two technology programmes have been funded by The National Technology Agency (Tekes) in 1997-2004. The Finnish National Fund for Research and Development (Sitra) has started a Food and Nutrition Program 2005-2009, with the aim to catalyze the improvement of public health by new business innovations. The Academy of Finland is planning a research program Food, diet and health to start next year. At VTT, 4-year research program Tailored Technologies for Future Foods (TTFF) ended in 2004. A new program Solutions for Intelligent Nutrition in collaboration with University of Kuopio is being planned to start in 2006.
VTT BIOTECHNOLOGY Government Well-being Research Industry
DRIVERS IN FOOD AND HEALTH BUSINESS Consumers Governments Industry Nutrition Science ICT and diagnostics Food Technology Agriculture Demand for tasty, healthy products, variety and convenience Strategies for preventive medicine, healthcare savings Innovation, opportunities for added-value products Knowledge of relation between diet and health New services New components, products, processes, packaging New breeding targets, opportunities for value-added products
Biomaterials Bioprocessing Products FOOD Information Biological responses Health effects FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGY, & ICT CLINICAL NUTRITION, HEALTH AND MEDICINE
FOOD & HEALTH AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY NETWORKS AS ELEMENTS OF INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS Growth areas of the food cluster Food safety Services Health promoting foods Intellignet packaging Rapid Cost efficiency and control of the food production chain Growth of global market Slow Small Growth potential of Finnish business Large
PUBLIC POLICY POPULATION PRIVATE SECTOR HEALTH PROGRAMME
WHAT COULD WE ACHIEVE IN THE FNCTIONAL FOOD SECTOR: THE WIN-WIN-WIN SCENARIO INDIVIDUALS: Means to increase wellbeing and reduce the risk of diseases GOVERNMENT: Cost-effective ways of promoting public health COMPANIES: New business opportunities