Australian scientists have announced their finding of a crucial molecular link between eating a high fat diet and developing Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes less able to produce and use insulin. The disorder is associated with a high-sugar, high-fat diet combined with lack of exercise. The research was undertaken by Dr Laybutt and PhD scholar Mia Akerfeldt of the Sydney’s Garvan Institute. Their findings suggest a gene, known as Id1, appears to be the “master regulator”... ...Read more »

Health researchers at Deakin University, Victoria, have announced findings that suggest a poor diet may be a risk factor for mental health problems during adolescence. The findings, published this week in the journal PLoS One, suggest diet quality can be used to predict mental health in adolescents over time.  For the study, the researchers analysed data collected from over 3000 Australian adolescents in 2005 and again in 2007. Participants filled in detailed questionnaires about their normal diets... ...Read more »

The recently launched Health and Food Sciences Precinct at Coopers Plains opens the door to a new era of food science research that spells good news for Queensland’s fruit and vegetable lovers. The new precinct provides a ‘Centre of Excellence’ that will take Queensland food research to new heights as both State Government and Federal Government (CSIRO) scientists join forces at the new centre. With major collaborations on a number of projects already in place before the centralised move, the... ...Read more »

The Nestlé Research Centre has announced a major study on the effects of nutrition and exercise on muscle mass, in collaboration with RMIT University, McMaster University of Canada, and the Australian Institute of Sport. The study, supported by a linkage grant fro the Australian Research Council, will involve several clinical trials to assess different food and exercise regimes and muscle mass in relation to weight loss and aging.  The study will also investigate preventing the ‘accentuated’... ...Read more »

For the first time UK scientists have shown what the food poisoning bug Salmonella feeds on to survive as it causes infection: glucose. The discovery of the weakness for sugar could provide a new way to vaccinate against Salmonella. The discovery could also lead to vaccine strains to protect against other disease-causing bacteria, including superbugs, according to the Institute of Food Research (IFR). “This is the first time that anyone has identified the nutrients that sustain Salmonella while... ...Read more »

One of the world’s leading flavours and fragrances firms has developed new technology that they believe will assist food manufacturers address the issue of high salt levels in processed foods. Givaudan has reportedly developed an extensive portfolio of ingredients to help enhance salt perception in low sodium applications. The range will be able to be applied to products from soups and sauces, to snacks and meat as well as for cereals and bakery goods. “Givaudan understands that high... ...Read more »

Givaudan, one of the world’s leading flavours and fragrances companies, has identified a bitter taste receptor which could pave the way for even more stevia products following the approval of the ingredient in countries including Australia and the US last year. Givaudan has applied for patents related to its discovery of the bitter taste receptor triggered by Rebaudioside-A (also known as Reb-A), the new Stevia-derived ‘natural high intensity sweetener’. Understanding how bitterness... ...Read more »

New Zealand scientists have reported that heavily processed foods with a high glycaemic index (GI) could be addictive in a similar way to drugs. Simon Thornley, from the Auckland Regional Public Health Service, noted that foods with a high GI caused blood-sugar levels to escalate suddenly, with the resultant sugar rush stimulating the same areas of the brain associated with addiction to drugs such as nicotine. Low-GI foods, on the other hand, provide a more steady release of sugar. He believes that... ...Read more »

According to Oxford researchers working with colleagues in Norway, chocolate, wine and tea enhance cognitive performance. The team, from Oxford’s Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics and Norway, examined the relation between cognitive performance and the intake of three common foodstuffs that contain flavonoids (chocolate, wine, and tea) in 2,031 older people (aged between 70 and 74). Participants filled in information about their habitual food intake and underwent a battery of cognitive... ...Read more »

A new industry grant, to a team University of Queensland researchers, is expected to lead to an improvement in foods provided to elderly patients with swallowing difficulties. Led by the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology’s (AIBN) Associate Professor Peter Halley, the multidisciplinary team will bring a more scientific process to the design of texture modified foods. “About 40 percent of elderly people have difficulty chewing and swallowing food, and this difficulty... ...Read more »