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Healthier Foods

Healthier Foods

The choices we make about our food and drink are shaped by social norms, what is available and what is affordable. Scotland has a richly deserved international reputation for the quality of its extensive larder of nutritionally valuable animal and plant derived products that can be grown, harvested, produced and processed to provide a healthy and sustainable diet. However Scotland’s population has one of the poorest diet-related health records in the developed world. Driven by the ambition of becoming a Good Food Nation, SEFARI research explores the interplay between dietary health, affordability and sustainability, whilst also working to improve food safety.

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Case Studies

13 Jun 2024

Foodborne toxoplasmosis: a study of retail meat

Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that impacts human and animal health worldwide. Infection in humans is usually very mild, however, there can be severe or life-threatening disease in immune compromised people or pregnant women.

23 Nov 2023

Low-intensity cereal rotation and organic production can reduce the risk of mycotoxin contamination in oats

Mycotoxins are naturally occurring toxins produced by fungal infection of agricultural crops. Several hundred mycotoxins have been characterized in a wide range of food crops around the world, and new mycotoxins and mycotoxin metabolites are continuously discovered.

8 Jul 2020

Modelling the effect of social networks in reducing meat consumption

Our food consumption is guided by perceive norms and the food choices of others around us. In the UK today, unhealthy and environmentally unsustainable diets are most commonly eaten (the norm).

19 Jun 2020

Protein for Life – Supporting healthy ageing in partnership with the food sector

Protein intake is insufficient among middle-aged and older adults in the UK, and this insufficiency is a major contributor to ill health and disability.

5 May 2020

How can technology help ensure authenticity, provenance and traceability in Scottish Food Products?

The following case study summarises work delivered as part of a SEFARI Fellowship with Scotland Food and Drink (SFD) undertaken during 2019 to ascertain the current state of play regarding the technologies best suited to authenticity, provenance and traceability strategies. 

31 Oct 2019

Scotland’s Dinner Plate 2050

Leading industry and SEFARI science representatives from Scotland’s food, drink and agricultural sectors came together to discuss and speculate what Scotland’s dinner plate may look like in 2050. 

23 Apr 2019

Cadmium, crabmeat and consumer health

Crabmeat is an excellent source of protein but also provides good levels of important minerals, vitamins and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. However, the meat from the brown crab (Cancer pagurus) can also contain the heavy metal cadmium, both in the white meat but especially so in the brown meat.

20 Mar 2019

Mycotoxin contamination in cereal products and human exposure from the diet

Mycotoxins are unavoidable, natural food contaminants which are produced by fungi growing on agricultural crops. Growth can occur in the field or in storage.

25 May 2018

Food Reformulation: Making Processed Foods Healthier

This article we will explain some some of the ways we are incorporating healthy ingredients from a variety of sources into recipes to develop novel formulations of foods.

17 May 2018

Science and Innovation:The Nutrients for Growing a UK Blueberry Industry

Blueberries have gained in popularity amongst UK consumers. Currently UK blueberries supply only 5% of demand and there is a huge opportunity to increase home grown supply. 

4 Apr 2018

Protein for Life – Developing food opportunities for a healthy, ageing population

'Protein for Life' is designed to identify and develop guidelines for protein products for healthy ageing (living a better, longer life) that are cost effective, sustainable and enjoyable.

28 Feb 2018

The Health Benefits of Dietary Fibre

SEFARI scientists are investigating the potential benefits of supplementary soluble indigestible fibres for promoting healthy weight loss.

Blog

27 Aug 2024 - 10:28

Food for Thought: Soil, Food, Farming and Trade - Border Union Agricultural Society Business Breakfast, Kelso, 26 July 2024

Supported by SEFARI GAteway, the Royal Bank of Scotland, the RSA, and in particular the RSA Fellows Borders Network and the RSA Fellows Rural and Environmental Issues network Scotland and NFU Mutual, over 100 guests attended the Business breakfast from 8:30 until 10:30, in the Members Marquee, organised and welcomed

26 Jul 2024 - 09:39

What does Regenerative Farming mean for you?

During this year’s GO Falkland gathering, in the foothills of the mighty East Lomond Hill on the beautiful Falkland estate, an enthusiastic collective of farmers, growers, artists, scientists and policymakers came together to discuss what Regenerative Farming,

16 Jul 2024 - 14:50

A feast for OnFARM listeners’ ears

What do hemp, barley, antimicrobial resistance and soft fruits have in common? They are the episode themes for a series of podcasts that SEFARI and SEFARI Gateway has created in partnership with OnFARM.