Honor Recognizes Improvement in the Nutritional Content of Wheat
WILMINGTON, Del. (Oct. 30, 2023) – Four scientists researching ways to enhance the nutritional content of wheat received the inaugural Heroes Award from the Foundation for Innovation in Healthy Food on October 29 at the ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting in St. Louis.
Dr. Katherine Frels, assistant professor and collaborator with the Nebraska Food for Health Center at the University of Nebraska, and Dr. Maria Itria Ibba, head of CIMMYT’s Wheat Chemistry and Quality Laboratory, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, were recognized for their outstanding leadership launching the foundation’s Coalition for Grain Fiber initiative.
Dr. Peter Shewry and Dr. Alison Lovegrove, scientists at the U.K.’s Rothamsted Research, were honored for their contributions in increasing the level of dietary fiber in wheat.
“We’ve been working on improving the fiber content of flour. Hardly anyone eats the recommended level of fiber,” says Lovegrove. “If we can increase the level of fiber in wheat flour, it could provide health benefits in the foods we eat every day.”
The coalition seeks to improve the nutrition in staple foods without impacting their taste, feel or consumer price. It is simultaneously dedicated to establishing profit incentives for farmers and other food suppliers that deliver increased nutrient foods, with those funds allocated to food supply.
As the source of over a third of U.S. dietary intake, wheat is a natural starting point to bridge the gap between adequate and recommended fiber. According to the coalition, improvements in the nutritional content of white and whole wheat flour may ultimately save thousands of lives and billions of healthcare dollars globally.
“Most people across the world do not consume enough dietary fiber, which is essential in the fight against various diseases,” says Ibba. “Increasing the dietary fiber content of a staple crop like wheat could have a significant positive impact on the health of wheat consumers.”
Over 50 public and private-sector laboratory leaders in three countries and 23 U.S. states have engaged with the coalition, including University of Nebraska-Lincoln, CIMMYT, Rothamsted Research, University of California-Davis, Cornell University and Bayer Crop Science.
The Nebraska Wheat Board provided support for the efforts of the foundation and the coalition.
About the Foundation for Innovation in Healthy Food
FIHF builds coalitions of stakeholders that support increasing the nutritional value of the foods we consume, while preserving consumers’ food experiences.
About the Coalition for Grain Fiber
The coalition is enrolling grain fiber in the fight against chronic disease. By improving the nutritional content of white and whole wheat flour, it seeks to save thousands of lives and dramatically reduce healthcare costs.
About the Nebraska Food for Health Center
The center brings together faculty researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Nebraska at Omaha to tie gastrointestinal and biomedical research to agriculture, plant and animal breeding and genetics.
About Rothamsted Research
Rothamsted Research is a world-leading, non-profit research center that focuses on strategic agricultural science to the benefit of farmers and society worldwide. They believe that science is the key to a world where hunger is a distant memory, where farmers can make a fair living, and where food is grown in harmony with the natural world.
About CIMMYT
The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is a Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN FAO) with a mission of sustainably increasing the productivity of maize and wheat systems and thus ensuring global food security and reducing poverty.