PROTEIN
CONFERENCE ON
10 JULY 2018
It seems that a taste of sugar might be good
for newborn infants, according to a Kiwi-led
study that has received rare financial backing
from a US medical institute.
The University of Auckland Liggins Institute,
which has researched whether
sugar gels can prevent brain damage
in infants, has received $2.8 million
from the National Institutes of Health - the US
government agency responsible for biomedical
and public health research. Lead New Zealand
researcher Distinguished Professor Jane Harding
says it is rare for a non-US collaboration to
receive funding of this kind, but demonstrates
how important the research is. Harding’s Sugar
Babies Study, first published in 2013, shows
sugar gels work as a treatment for neonatal
hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), which affects
about one in six newborns. Now Harding wants
to work out whether sugar gels rubbed into the
cheeks of babies an hour after birth can prevent
the onset of the condition. “If we could do that,
we might reduce the number of blood tests they
need, reduce the amount of angst that families
experience, and potentially even prevent brain
damage,” she says. In serious cases it can mean
hospitalisation in NICU and, untreated, can
lead to developmental delays. The institute is
running a trial – the hPOD trial – which is about
halfway towards its target of 2129 newborns. It’s
being run at eight hospitals in New Zealand and
five in Australia.
SUGAR
I f plant proteins and food
exports are your thing,
PROS national industry conference
Innovatek’s ProteinTECH in
Auckland later this month will
be the place to be. With a theme
of ‘Technology Disruption in
Food Production’, the event is
expected to show there is more
depth to the protein replacement
industry than meets the
eye. Conference director John
Stulen says television news and
social media highlight major
breakthroughs – such as Impossible
Burgers going global and
Vivera plant-based steaks flying
off Tesco’s shelves in Britain –
and stimulate the public’s attention
on threats to New Zealand’s
agriculture exports. “The real
story is much more positive
than consumers realise,” Stulen
says. “Our agricultural science
and technology leaders are
well-positioned to develop new
exports based on our land base
and farming strengths and capabilities.”
The July 24 conference
has a strong line-up of technical
speakers who will be digging
deeper than the media stories
to reveal opportunities for foods
beyond today’s animal-based
proteins; and other experts will
look at changing food production
trends, analysis, finance,
accounting and consulting.
“Our national social, environmental
and economic well-being
is linked to New Zealand’s
ability to supply the rest of the
world with protein,” Stulen
says. “Export revenues from
animal-based proteins account
for 60% of our country’s total
primary exports.”
www.proteintech.events
The New Zealand Dental Association
(NZDA) is backing a suggestion
of adding graphic images of rotted
teeth and health warnings on sugary
drinks as way to encourage healthier
behaviours.
The research was presented at the
European Congress on Obesity by
Professor Anna Peeters from Australia’s
Deakin University.
Surveying nearly 1000 young adults,
aged between 18 and 35, researchers
showed a modelled 20% drop in
purchases of drinks bearing a picture
of rotten teeth.
“This is exactly one of the seven
measures we have called upon in
our Consensus Statement on Sugary
Drinks,” NZDA sugary drinks spokesperson
Dr Rob Beaglehole says.
“Europe is getting ahead of where
New Zealand is at in addressing sugary
drink harm. They are now talking
about the idea of warning labels, and
earlier this year the UK introduced a
comprehensive sugary drinks health
levy,” Dr Beaglehole says.
"It’s not possible to keep ‘selling
sickness’ without acknowledging
the public health crisis in oral health
damage, and obesity."
A consortium of public health groups
is backing a NZDA-led seven-point
Consensus statement on sugary
drinks. One of the measures includes
the introduction of warning labels
linking overconsumption of sugary
drinks to poor health
GRAPHIC
WARNING
ON SUGARY DRINKS
Kiwi dentists back suggestion
of graphic cigarette-style
health warnings on
sugary drinks
NEWS
/www.proteintech.events
