Foods for Life Program
What is “Foods for Life”
The ‘Foods for Life’ program is the Centre’s framework for categorising opportunities in functional foods according to benefits to be gained at various stages in the lifecycle. Current programs include:
- ‘Foods for Kids’
- ‘Foods for Appetite Control’; and
- ‘Foods for Healthy Aging’
This program allows food companies to co-invest in precompetitive projects including;
- A critical evaluation of market trends including size, categories, related health benefits as well as market drivers and environmental/regulatory impediments.
- A systematic review of the scientific literature to determine how well market trends are substantiated by science.
- Identifying and commissioning clinical testing of concepts if required to support substantiation of health claims.
- Review of the technological challenges and capability required to bring product concepts to market.
- Review of regulatory requirements associated with the marketing and communication of products.
How does it work?
The Centre brings together at least 5 compatible Australian food companies with different product ranges.
Through a series of workshops, the ‘team’ will adopt an open innovation process to conceptualise product ideas and determine the type of research required, at a pre-competitive level, to progress product development and commercialisation.
At the end of this process, each company will be able to use the information and product concepts acquired to achieve their own marketing goals according to their own capabilities and corporate strategy.
Benefits to companies
- Opportunity to gain an appreciation of other company’s capabilities and develop relationships with key contacts.
- Opportunity to leverage R&D dollars ensuring an effective use of investment.
- Assists in the decision-making process with respect to development of functional food products.
- Incubates partner relationships for ongoing collaborations on opportunities identified throughout the program.