Food for Thought - February 2013 - Food for Special Purposes

About this issue

Food for Special Purposes

Proper nutrition is crucial for healthy aging. Throughout our lifespans, nutritional requirements may differ. Hence, the existence of different target groups with different nutritional requirements such as babies, toddlers, teenagers, pregnant women and older people. In addition, nutritional requirements may also differ based on diseases and disorders of people who suffer from afflictions such as diabetes, obesity, renal failure, celiac disease or allergies. Also, many hospitalized patients (elderly as well as infants) appear to suffer from malnutrition – which suggests that specific nutrition might be considered in these settings as well.

As you'll see in this issue of Food for Thought, the Netherlands has a lot to offer in this challenging research area of "Food for Special Purposes" — from excellent academic groups at various universities and institutes to innovative R&D centers within private companies, as well as significant cooperation between the public and private sector. Some examples of Dutch initiatives aimed at specific target groups are presented in this newsletter — we hope they will lead you to explore your innovation plans and business opportunities within a Dutch context.

About Food for Thought

Written for food industry decision makers, Food for Thought reports periodically on agrofood activities and advances within the Netherlands. Its articles, overviews and white papers provide an overall perspective on food technologies, innovations and R&D taking place here.

Kikkoman Food Europe Marks 15 Years in the Netherlands

Kikkoman Foods Europe (KFE), a food production company best known for its soy sauce, recently celebrated its 15-year anniversary in the Netherlands.

Click here to see the Kikkoman Food Europe video testimonial.

KFE was established in 1997, and is located in Hoogezand-Sappemeer, in the province of Groningen. Part of its founding mission was to strengthen the scientific and cultural ties between Japan and the Netherlands. To that end, KFE has supported numerous charitable causes since.

As part of the company’s anniversary celebrations, it has announced the endowment of a new Chair position at the University of Leiden. The “Kikkoman Chair” will focus on the study of Asian-European intercultural dynamics, with special attention to material culture, art, and human development. KFE will contribute €250,000 over a 5-year period to fund the Chair position.

KFE also made a €100,000 gift to the Nationaal Groenfonds (National Green Fund) to support environmental efforts in Groningen as part of its 15th anniversary celebrations. The company has also donated to natural preservation and protection efforts in Groningen, as well as the Rembrandt House museum, as part of its ongoing charitable endeavors.

In 2007, the company established an R&D center at the University of Wageningen in Food Valley. The “Kikkoman Food Laboratory” concentrates on scientific and technological research in the areas of food and eating habits.

The company said it hopes that its ongoing involvement in these endeavors will continue to strengthen the relationship between Japan and the Netherlands.


		Dietary strategies to augment muscle mass Innovative food products and intervention strategies to improve muscle mass for the healthy, the frail elderly, and even athletes. These are the main goals of the research on muscle health and function, carried out by the public/private partnership TI Food and Nutrition. The industry is currently using insights from previous research in this area for the development of high-protein foods to support muscle mass....
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		Delicious and effective nutrition for seniors and patients Cater with Care is a consortium in which food industry, knowledge and care organizations in the east of the Netherlands work together to prevent and treat malnutrition in the elderly population. The consortium’s main target groups are hospitalized or institutionalized elderly, or those in an assisted-living facility.
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		Carbohydrate innovations in the Netherlands: creating a healthier and more sustainable society The Carbohydrate Competence Center (CCC) is a leading international public/private partnership in the field of carbohydrate research. As such, the center presents an attractive partner for innovation in all areas in which carbohydrate expertise is relevant. Currently, 19 private companies and six knowledge institutes...
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		Intestinal health and disease prevention: a story of wheat and oats During the last decades, the prevalence of nutrition-related chronic diseases, such as diabetes type 2, obesity, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and food allergies and intolerances (such as celiac disease), as well as some types of cancer, has been gradually increasing, with a growing impact on healthcare costs. It is generally agreed that these diseases...
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		Nutrition to support care of the most vulnerable Over the years, Danone’s Medical Nutrition division, better known as Nutricia Advanced Medical Nutrition, has successfully expanded to serve hospitals and community healthcare providers across the world. Despite its global reach, the company continues to research and develop its specialized innovations for patients from its home base in the Netherlands, where the Nutricia brand was born.
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Small Bites:
Short articles on food developments in the Netherlands

Solynta wins 2012 Food Valley Award @ Food Valley Expo
Dyadic Netherlands Joins Effort to Develop Nutritionally Enhanced Bread
Handheld "lab in the field" for multi-analyte detection
Royal DSM Announces Plans for €100 Million R&D Investment Projects
Ojah Wins 2012 MKB Innovation Top 100
Bayer CropScience opens lab in the Netherlands for vegetable research
Philips, Jamie Oliver combine forces to simplify cooking with HomeCooker
Meatless launches website focused on its product line of meat replacers
The Netherlands makes a splash at IFT 2012 in Las Vegas