The Diet and Health Open Innovation Research Club (OIRC), coordinated by the British Nutrition Foundation, aims to facilitate collaboration between experts in behavior, nutrition, and food science to conduct innovative research on health and diet. This research will be shared globally to make a positive impact on health worldwide. The OIRC is funded by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Innovate UK, and the Medical Research Council (MRC).
Industry professionals, academics, and policymakers are encouraged to join the OIRC to identify areas where innovation is needed in the field of nutrition. The OIRC innovation hubs work towards creating real-life benefits for the public, such as reformulated products, functional foods, and innovative packaging and labeling.
Collaboration between academia and industry is essential for the success of the OIRC. Key industry leaders, including PepsiCo, are already participating, and more are encouraged to join. The OIRC provides a platform for collaboration to address global health problems related to diet and nutrition.
The OIRC focuses on a few key areas for research, including the physiological effects of food leading to obesity, improving biofortification of crops, understanding consumer food choices, exploring the impact of functional foods on gut health, studying nutrition throughout life stages, and improving plant-based products. Each hub within the OIRC has a specific focus and collaborates with experts in the respective fields.
The goal of the OIRC is to translate research findings into healthier and more sustainable food products. By working together, the OIRC aims to make a significant impact on the food chain and ultimately improve people’s health and well-being.
The coordination of the OIRC by the British Nutrition Foundation ensures effective communication between the innovation hubs and facilitates the sharing of findings across the food system. This investment in innovation in the food and drink sector aims to address critical barriers to progress and drive positive change in the industry.
By focusing on food and beverage industry trends, food manufacturing trends, food processing technology, food distribution trends, food and drink industry innovation, food and drink sustainability, food and drink regulations, food and drink packaging, food and drink marketing, and food and drink consumer trends, the OIRC aims to stay at the forefront of industry developments and contribute to the advancement of nutrition science.