Food Security & Safety
137
3
Market responses
3.2
Functional foods
Keywords
Appetite, weight control, mood and cognition, glycaemic
control, gut health and function, vision and perception,
consumers, health benefits, health claims
Expertise
The University has specific expertise in the role of food
and nutrition in a variety of health-related applications.
We particularly focus on the use of so-called ‘functional
foods’ to promote healthy ageing; our researchers are
involved in several high-profile collaborative research
projects and ongoing relationships with a number of
partners from the food ingredients, processing,
production and retail sectors.
We are home to a number of experts advising national
and international government and regulatory bodies on
nutritional health. Some of these experts sit on key
scientific and regulatory committees, including the
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA); they have been
involved in evaluating food health claims and developing
guidance for industry.
We have a broad portfolio of research and expertise
which can be applied to all aspects of functional food
development, evaluation and policy matters. Our studies
extend understanding of the effects that the structure and
nature of food ingredients, (eg semi-solid, gelling
materials, emulsifications and micro-encapsulations) and
whole foods (eg meal replacers, reformulated meal and
snack items and dried fruits) have on appetite expression,
energy intake, metabolism, energy balance, weight
control, the control of blood glucose and body fat loss.
We also study the role of specific nutrients (eg dietary
lipids) on mood, cognition and mental performance to
examine whether functional food could combat mental
decline and/or promote healthy ageing. Some of our
research looks at the impact of key nutrients (eg lutein) on
eye health and visual perception and whether
functional foods could also moderate pain.
With our expertise in cellular experimentation, we also
examine the impact of nutrition on gut function as we try
to understand the specific role of nutrient sensing within
the gut and how changes in diet can affect the natural
microbiota and its implications on gut health.
We also work to understand the impact of macronutrients
(
eg rapidly digestible versus slowly digestible
carbohydrates, resistance starches and fermentable fibre
types) and food structure on the control of blood glucose.
Capabilities and facilities
•
The Kissileff Laboratory, which includes a large
scale food preparation area, 16 participant booths,
five universal eating monitors, a social eating
laboratory, a dedicated participants lounge, iDXA
to measure changes in body composition and
facilities to take bloods, urine, faecal samples and
breath for analysis
•
Cognitive neuroscience facilities, including fMRI,
EEG (64 and 180 channel systems), eye tracking
(
two fixed-eye tracking systems and Tobii Glasses
Mobile Eye Tracking System)
•
Access to cutting-edge cellular and molecular
biology facilities.
Relevant centres and groups
•
Kissileff Laboratory.
Also see:
Health & Wellbeing –
5.2
Obesity, appetite and diabetes,
page 32
Society & Culture –
5.1
Lifestyle and health, page 172
At Liverpool we lead in the
development of foods to help
people maintain a healthy
weight, curb their appetites,
improve their gut health, control
their blood sugar and improve
their cognition, perception,
mental performance, mood
and feeling of wellbeing.
For further information
on all our specialist
centres, facilities and
laboratories
go to page
179
