Supporting the immune system with new food concepts and products
by Danielle Trappenburg-Eelkman RoodaTrouw Nutrition and Mead Johnson Nutrition, together with prominent research partners such as NIZO, will develop new food and feed concepts and products that will support the immune system of infants and young animals. The research will be supported by the European Union, the province of Gelderland and the Dutch government.
During the First few months after birth the development of the immune system of man and animal is in full swing. Via the mothers’ milk or in the egg all kinds of important compounds are being transferred that directly protect against diseases and help to develop the immune system. However new born children and animals do not always have sufficient resistance against infections of for instance the gut or the respiratory tract.
ImmunoForce
The project called 'ImmunoForce' combines scientific and product technical knowledge with the aim to develop food and feed products that promote the health of the young. Based on research, followed by development of food specialties, the resistance against infections of infants and young animals can be supported. This can lead to a reduction in the use of antibiotics.
EFRO-subsidy
To reach the goals, a consortium has been set up consisting of knowledge institutes and companies, active in Food Valley and Health Valley in the Province Gelderland. The partners includes Trouw Nutrition, Putten; Mead Johnson Nutrition, Nijmegen; Wageningen University; Utrecht University; UMCN St. Radboud, Nijmegen and NIZO food research, Ede. To support the Immunoforce consortium the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRO), the province of Gelderland and the Dutch Government provide 2.6 million Euro subsidy. The partners themselves invest another 2.6 million for research and product development.