1. NUtrials is a recently established service at Northumbria University that provides testing and product development support for the food, functional food, and nutraceutical industries. 2. Northumbria University has expertise in food analysis, regulation of metabolic processes, physical and cognitive performance, and defense against oxidative stress through three research centers. 3. NUtrials aims to offer a single interface for industry, reduce costs through consolidated marketing and PR, and help move products from concept to market through its range of expertise and services.

1. Cradle to Market – Adding Value to the Concept
Dunblane Hydro
Thursday 27 March 2008
Nutrials: commercialisation of academic
strengths
Andrea Zangara
Research & Business Development Manager
Northumbria University Functional Foods and Nutraceutical Group
a.zangara@unn.ac.uk

2. Who we are
• NUtrials is a recently established service for the
food and drink, functional foods and
nutraceuticals industry
• Northumbria University experts in food and
nutrition, sports science, and behavioural
psychology
• 3 compatible research disciplines from across
Northumbria University:
1. HCNU (the Human Cognitive Neuroscience Unit)
2.NEAR (Nutrition, Exercise & Appetite Research
Group)
3.BBNRC (Biomolecular and Biomedical Research
Centre)

3. Main expertise
• Food analysis
Qualitative and quantitative analysis of functional ingredients,
micronutrients, vitamins, allergens, additives and contaminants,
chemical and microbiological aspects of food safety
• Regulation of basic metabolic processes
Diet, nutrition and appetite, optimising metabolism, combating
obesity and controlling Diabetes
• Defence against oxidative stress
Antioxidants found in the diet which are existing, or could
potentially become, functional food components
• Physical performance and fitness
Nutritional measures and dietary interventions of potential
functional foods to promote optimal physical performance and
recovery
• Cognitive and mental performance
Nutritional interventions on behaviour, including studies
exploring cognition enhancement, improvements in mood and
anxiety

4. Background
• Discussion with the Centre of Excellence for
Life Sciences (CELS) identified the opportunity
to develop a Functional foods testing and
product development centre
• The University Research Development Fund
(RDF) supported a BDM and activities
• HCNU already has an international reputation
for research and consultancy in the field of
food testing on behaviour

6. Background: the HCNU
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
current position:
• ~100 international journal articles
• ~£500,000 annual income
•industry plus BBSRC etc.
• NUtrials launched 2007
•includes Sport, Applied Sciences
• move to new SRIF-funded labs
• Brain, Performance and Behaviour Research Centre

7. HCNU partners and sponsors

8. Why NUtrials?
• Single interface and port of call
• More consistent and valuable PR
• Reduced marketing and PR costs
• Easier to build critical mass of case studies and
work carried out and possibility to leverage work
already carried out by the various groups
• Range of services better than pieces to different
companies
• Companies want a solution that can help them from
concept to market

9. • Marketing material / website
• Brand
• Affiliations
• Presentations
• Dissemination of marketing materials
• Industrial engagement
• Market Research report– size of the potential
market – globally, nationally, regionally –
competition, areas of improvement
Initial goals

10. Market Research
Producers in the food and drink and
health-wellbeing sectors are welcome
to participate in an online survey.
Industry views will help NUtrials to
offer a wider range of services tailored
to specific industry needs. The online
survey can be found at:
http://www.nutrials.inventya.com

11. http://www.inventya.com/phpsurveyor/index.php?sid=21

12. Expertise we can offer
Food analysis:
• Bulk analysis of food constituents
• Trace analysis of nutrients, allergens, additives and
contaminants
• Biochemistry; phytochemicals, anticancer
compounds etc.
• Links between food & physiology, gene expression
• Microbiological testing, shelf life
• Role of biofilms and microbial communities in
spoilage
• Organoleptics (food sensory evaluation laboratory)
• Pilot scale product development & quality testing
• Links with School of Design (packaging, marketing)

13. Expertise we can offer
• Sports Performance Studies
Studies designed to investigate the influence of certain
foods or drinks on exercise capacity and performance in
trained athletes
• Exercise Metabolism Studies
Studies designed to investigate the influence of exercise on
substrate metabolism and energy expenditure before or
after nutritional interventions
• Behavioural Nutrition Studies
Laboratory or field based studies investigating appetite and
food intake responses to exercise
• Appetite and Food Intake Studies
Protocols designed to test the satiating power of different
foods/ nutrients

14. Expertise we can offer
• Exercise Protocols
Treadmill, cycle ergometer, rowing ergometer, gym and field
based protocols
• Expired Gas Analysis
Measurements of energy expenditure and substrate oxidation
both at rest and during exercise
• Blood Sampling
Finger prick and venous blood sampling for the measurement
of a wide range of blood metabolites including glucose,
lactate, free fatty acids, appetite hormones
• Body Composition
BodPod, BIA, growth and maturation, anthropometry
• Continuous Glucose Monitoring System
Methodology to measure glucose profiles in free-living
subjects for up to seven days.

15. Expertise we can offer
• EEG and cerebral blood flow (NIRS)
• Specialised biochemical analyses
• Medical and psychiatric elements
• Levels of hormones and metabolites in blood, saliva
& urine.
• Computerised Mental Performance Assessment
System (COMPASS) a flexible platform for designing
and running cognitive assessment experiments:
– everyday memory, everyday cognitive performance and
performance during mental demand and psychological
stress
– Internet and Mobile Phone testing technology also enables
researchers to combine gold-standard laboratory measures
with ecologiocally valid cognitive and mood assessments
undertaken during the everyday lives of participants.

16. Objectives
• Develop robust business models for
academic/commercial interaction
• A bid for capital funding to the Regional
Development Agency One NorthEast
• NUtrials: ‘virtual interface’ and opportunity to
take the regional lead in the area
• Academic collaborations
• Role on advancing knowledge in health,
guarantee consumers wellbeing and
confidence in products

17. Lack of Consumer Trust
Datamonitor 2006

18. Forecast
Datamonitor, 2006

19. Forecast
• The world market for functional foods
and beverages is highly dynamic
• Annual growth estimates varying
between 8% and 14%
• Changing population demographics
and the effects of lifestyle diseases
create greater demand for food
products targeting health and wellness

20. Consumers interests
Ranking
Foods that controls weight 1
Energy-boosting products 2
Fortified drinks 3
Fortified foods 4
Herbal supplements 5
Beauty foods/drinks 6
Datamonitor, 2005
•The functional categories with the greatest potential for
success have been consistently identified in consumer
surveys as those that provide a rapid lifestyle boost
•Categories with long-term benefits can be successful but will
remain niche

21. Opportunities
• Growing interest in health, diet, supplements
• Performance / appetite /obesity / composition
• Consumer awareness
• China , Asia
• Health Claims: the availability of scientific
evidence will become the real bottleneck to
launch new product on the market

22. European regulation
• 1) nutritional claims
• 2) health claims
• 3) Art.13: Structure-function claims.
• Art.13 (a): the role of a nutrient or other substance in growth,
development and the functions of the body;
• Art.13 (b): psychological and behavioral functions;
• Art.13 (c): slimming or weight control or a reduction in the sense of
hunger or an increase in the sense of satiety or to the reduction of the
available energy from the diet
– For these claims a list will be published in 2010 by the EC.

23. Hierarchy for Evidence
Categories of evidence that may be used:
Intervention studies - RCT gold standard
Supporting: Animal, In vitro and molecular, Studies on
genotype

25. Intervention Studies
The design should include:
• Study groups representative of the target group
• Appropriate controls and markers
• Adequate duration of exposure to demonstrate
effect
• Characterisation of the study group´s background
diet and other relevant aspects of lifestyle
• An amount consistent with intended pattern of
consumption
• Monitoring of dietary compliance
• Statistical power to test the hypothesis

26. Effect of type of breakfast in children
Ingwersson et al (2007) Appetite, In press
9.00 am 9.40 am 10.40 am 11.40 am
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
9.00 am 9.40 am 10.40 am 11.40 am
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
9.00 am 9.40 am 10.40 am 11.40 am
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
5
9.00 am 9.40 am 10.40 am 11.40 am
-20
-15
-10
-
0
5
MEMORY
ATTENTION
low GI
breakfast
reduces
decline in
performance
BREAKFAST
9.30 am
BREAKFAST
9.30 am
Coco Pops
All Bran
CHANGEFROM9.00am
9.00 am 9.40 am 10.40 am 11.40 am
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
9.00 am 9.40 am 10.40 am 11.40 am
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
9.00 am 9.40 am 10.40 am 11.40 am
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
5
9.00 am 9.40 am 10.40 am 11.40 am
-20
-15
-10
-
0
5
ATTENTION
low GI
breakfast
reduces
decline in
performance
low GI
breakfast
reduces
decline in
performance
BREAKFAST
9.30 am
BREAKFAST
9.30 am
BREAKFAST
9.30 am
BREAKFAST
9.30 am
Coco Pops
All Bran
MEMORY

27. Effects of caffeine/glucose in slumpers and non-
slumpers
-80
-60
-40
-20
20
‘afternoon dip’ in slumpers
0
-80
-60
-40
-20
20
-80
-60
-40
-20
20
memoryperformance
no ‘afternoon dip’ in non-slumpers
no effect of a caffeine-glucose drink in non-slumpers
effect of a caffeine-glucose drink in slumpers
post-lunch period

30. Issues companies may have when undertaking
a research project
• Budget spent on research is small
• Cost is one of the biggest roadblocks in research
projects for small companies.
• May be unaware of actual cost of research
• Companies are found to spend a great deal on
marketing but to be reluctant to spend a small
proportion of their advertising budget on safety and
efficacy studies
• Borrowed Science’ is refraining companies from
investing in R&D
• Shift from marketing to R&D

31. Consumer attitudes
Datamonitor 2006

32. Strategies/Offers
• Alternative for research and testing for SMEs
with a limited budget
• SMEs lack the budget for research and claim
substantitation;
• SMEs may not be aware that various sources
of funding exist that could support the cost
associated with these activities
• Knowledge House funding to facilitate NE
SMEs’ engagement with the regional
universities

33. Funding for SME’s
• Funding is approx 50% of contract value; company
pays 50%
– Project max value is £10K
– Only one project per company is permitted
– Companies must be NE region SMEs and
demonstrate projected benefits to turnover, job
security etc
– Administered through NCE in collaboration with
Knowledge House Central
– Funding available from now till end November
2008

34. Conclusion
• The team understands the needs of
small organisation as well as
multinationals
• Wide range of technical skills available
within the group as well as a well
balanced set of competences
• Dedicated business development
manager for bringing in new contracts
• NUtrials and similar groups can address
legislative requirements and bolster a
particular product or brand’s credibility