NZDA Conference

3 September 2002

FOODS OF TODAY -
THE MEDICINES OF THE FUTURE?
NZDA CONFERENCE 2002

Functional foods are the nutrition of the 21st century, says leading American researcher Professor Dennis Gordon. "A strong vision for foods, nutrition and health in the 21st century is tied to these functional food ingredients which represent new horizons for human health and development", says Professor Gordon.

Professor Gordon is presenting a keynote speech at the New Zealand Dietetic Association (NZDA) annual conference. The conference is entitled "From Pasture to Plate" and will examine hot issues surrounding food today, such as genetic modification, the concept of functional foods and how to motivate behaviour change in people.

NZDA executive officer Amanda Wynne says the conference will look at the subject of food and its production from a range of perspectives, including functional benefits, genetic modification, consumer behaviour, health and nutrition.

"Dietitians recognise that people expect their food to provide more than just good taste and nutritional quality, people are thinking about the added health benefits of food, as well as the perceived risks associated with today's foods. Therefore, the process food undergoes from the pasture to the plate is the focus of this year's conference."

Conference speakers include:

* Professor Gordon, Professor of Cereal Science at the North Dakota State University, presenting a keynote speech entitled; "Defining dietary fibre - past, present and future." His research interests centre on classical nutrition that now includes the concept of functional foods and nutraceuticals. Specific topics of interest are dietary fibre, mineral bioavailablilty and interactions, and the intestinal function and health.

* Professor Robert Pickard, Director-General of the British Nutrition Foundation and Emeritus Professor of Neurobiology at the University of Wales in Cardiff. Professor Pickard is presenting "From the stone age diet to the plate of the future".

The NZDA conference is being held from 4-6 September at the Palmerston North Convention Centre, Palmerston North.

ENDS

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