NSERC and CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes Funding Initiative for Sodium Reduction in the Canadian Food Supply

Background

In July 2010, Health Canada’s Sodium Working Group (SWG) released its report  Sodium Reduction Strategy for Canada, Recommendations of the Sodium Working Group. The SWG recommended that various approaches be taken to reduce Canada’s mean population sodium intake to 2300 mg per day by 2016, from the current estimate intake of 3400 mg per day. One of the main ways this can be achieved is through gradual reductions of sodium in the Canadian food supply. In response to the research-related recommendations of the SWG, NSERC and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute for Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (CIHR-INMD) have launched the Initiative for Sodium Reduction in the Canadian Food Supply to stimulate research focussed on this challenge.

Objective

NSERC and the CIHR-INMD encourage the food industry and the academic research community to work together to reduce sodium in the Canadian food supply through collaborative research and development activities. Successful projects will be funded through NSERC’s Collaborative Research and Development (CRD) Grants Program and by the CIHR-INMD.

Description

The CIHR scientific workshop “Developing a Research Agenda to Support Sodium Reduction in Canada”, held in January 2010, identified knowledge gaps and established research priorities that led to the research-related recommendations in the Sodium Reduction Strategy. The SWG report recognizes that the research challenges related to sodium reduction in our food are complex due to the differing roles of sodium—from safety and preservation to protein binding taste, texture, etc. To better understand and determine the minimum levels of sodium attainable in foods, without sacrificing the specific functional aspects, it is important that these challenges be addressed through research collaboration among the academic, government and industry sectors.

Eligibility

To specifically address the research priorities identified in the Sodium Reduction Strategy, applications will be accepted in the following research areas:

• Investigating alternative processes or technologies to meet the microbial food safety and food technology needs at a lower level of sodium, without unduly increasing cost.
• Determining the microbial food safety consequences of decreasing the sodium concentration in foods, and how to manage them effectively.
• Investigating the effectiveness, potential risks and benefits of alternatives to salt and sodium-based food ingredients in foods from a technology and/or food safety perspective.
• Determining the physiological mechanisms of taste perception affected by sodium, including the modifying effects of different food matrices.

Requirements

Applicants are required to partner with a Canadian-based industrial organization (a single firm, industrial association or a producer group). NSERC and the CIHR-INMD encourage small- and medium-sized enterprises to be involved in this initiative. Industry partners must contribute to the direct project costs in an amount at least equal to the amount requested from NSERC and they must be in a position to apply successful research results. The report encourages the food industry to “consider research conducted in this area as a non-competitive issue to allow greater sharing of techniques and technologies for meeting the sodium reduction targets, thus promoting the health of all Canadians”.

Supporting Organizations

NSERC and the CIHR-INMD welcome active collaborations with federal and provincial science-based departments and agencies such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and others. As government departments and agencies are not eligible to receive NSERC funds, these participants are required to bring their own resources to the collaboration.

Organizations interested in investing in the sodium reduction-related research and development priorities mentioned above are invited to contact NSERC to discuss co-funding opportunities within this initiative.

How to Apply

Refer to the NSERC Web site for full details on how to apply to the Collaborative Research and Development Grants program. By applying for a grant, the applicant agrees to the sharing of the application material (excluding external reviewer reports) with CIHR for financial administration purposes.

Links

Canadian Institutes of Health Research Workshop report  Developing a Research Agenda to Support Sodium Reduction in Canada

Health Canada publication  Sodium Reduction Strategy for Canada, Recommendations of the Sodium Working Group

Program Contacts

NSERC

Doris Braslins
Account Manager, Bio-Industries Division
Research Partnership Programs Directorate
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Tel.: 613-996-7229
E-mail: doris.braslins@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

CIHR

Paul Bélanger
Assistant Director, Ottawa
Institute of Nutrition Metabolism and Diabetes
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Tel.: 613-941-6465
E-mail: paul.belanger@cihr-irsc.gc.ca