ILSI 2022 Annual Meeting Session 1: Progress in technologies and their applications

Tuesday, June 28 | 8:00 - 10:00

Co-Chairs: Dr. Jan-Willem van Klinken, Senior Vice President Medical & Scientific Affairs, Brightseed, USA and Dr. H N Mishra, Professor of Food Technology in the Agricultural & Food Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India

From N-of-1 healthcare to food technology: harnessing digital medicine approaches to food and nutrition challenges – Dr. Dean Ho, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Combating the double burden of malnutrition: building evidence-base with nuclear and isotopic techniques – Dr. Victor Owino, Nutritional and Health-Related Environmental Studies Section, Division of Human Health, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Austria
Food tech innovations for nutrition and health security – Dr. H N Mishra, Professor of Food Technology in the Agricultural & Food Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India
Artificial intelligence – Dr. Bernardo Calzadilla-Sarmiento, Managing Director, Directorate of Digitalization, Technology and Agri-Business, and Director, Department of Digitalization, Technology and Innovation, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Austria
Forager: An Artificial Intelligence Platform Illuminating the Connection Between Plants, Nutrition and Health – Dr. Jan-Willem van Klinken, Senior Vice President Medical & Scientific Affairs, Brightseed, USA

Jan-Willem van Klinken H N Mishra Dean Ho Victor Owino Bernardo Calzadilla-Sarmiento

Jan-Willem van Klinken

Forager: An Artificial Intelligence Platform Illuminating the Connection Between Plants, Nutrition and Health – Dr. Jan-Willem van Klinken, Senior Vice President Medical & Scientific Affairs, Brightseed, USA

Abstract: Chronic diseases account for more than 50% of all deaths globally and suboptimal diet is a leading cause. Improving diet is therefore of key importance. AI technology will allow the development of optimal nutritional approaches including the identification of healthful dietary components. Brightseed developed Forager, an AI platform that identifies plant bioactive compounds. Forager is based upon recent advancements in the fields of computation, -omics and high-throughput screening. Forager provides an AI tool that provides superior speed and efficiency in the identification of plant bioactives to benefit human health.

Dr. Jan-Willem van Klinken is Senior Vice President, Medical & Scientific Affairs at Brightseed, a biosciences company and creator of Forager®, a computational platform using systems biology and machine learning to illuminate the connections between nature and human health. Jan-Willem comes from GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer where he managed global and regional Medical Affairs for dietary supplements, and over the counter pharmaceuticals for digestive health. Before that, he was a Science and Nutrition R&D leader at PepsiCo and Unilever. Jan-Willem holds a PhD in Medicine from the University of Amsterdam, NL – where he also trained as a M.D. in Clinical Pediatrics – and he holds a M.S. in Human Nutrition from Columbia University, New York.

H N Mishra

Food tech innovations for nutrition and health security – Dr. H N Mishra, Professor of Food Technology in the Agricultural & Food Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India

Abstract: Several countries of the world including India are currently combating the crisis of malnutrition. Despite substantial improvements in health and well-being, iron deficiency anemia (IDA), protein deficiency, and lifestyle-related non-communicable diseases (NCD) like diabetes are in alarming stages. Fortification of staples with micronutrients like iron, vitamin B₁₂, folic acid as well as balancing energy and amino acids are panacea for the malnutrition. Effective implementation of food fortification coupled with the use of innovative food processing and packaging technologies are key to providing nutrition and health security to masses. Extrusion is the most versatile, reliable and sustainable technology for a successful and cost-effective thriving food fortification programme.

Extrusion technology has been used to produce ready to cook RTC fortified rice kernels (FRK), fortified rice noodles (FRN), low glycemic rice (LGR), and essential amino acid balanced nutri dal / pulse (NHD). The broken rice and mixture of broken pulses, millets and pseudo cereals are respectively grinded into flour, mixed with desired amounts of micronutrient fortificants and conditioned. The conditioned rice/legumes/millet flours are then fed into a twin-screw extruder, specially designed and fabricated for the purpose, to produce the speciality products with enhanced micronutrients which are then dried, polished, and packaged. Details of the product formulations, manufacturing technologies and health benefits shall be discussed.

Professor H N Mishra has more than 35 years of professional experience of teaching and research in food processing. A Professor of Food Technology in the Agricultural & Food Engineering Department, Dr. Mishra is currently the Professor I/c, Nodal officer & Director of the Agri Business Incubation Foundation IIT Kharagpur. Prof Mishra is on the Board of Trustee of the ILSI-India, New Delhi. He is a former Head and Chairman of the Post-Harvest Technology Centre, IIT Kharagpur and Former President of the Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India).

Professor Mishra has published 577 research papers including 237 in peer reviewed international journals & 340 in conference proceedings. He has written 4 books, 4 e-books, 35 book chapters, 7 lecture compendium & laboratory manuals, 4 technology manuals, and several popular articles in newspapers and magazines and has 14 Indian patents to his credit. Besides, he is on the editorial boards of several reputed journals. He has supervised more than 282 student research projects including 12 PDF and 50 Ph D research scholars. Professor Mishra has handled several international and national sponsored research & industrial consultancy projects. Dr Mishra has received several awards & honours such as AIFPA Presidents’ Award, GYTI Award, NRDC Award, Best Teacher Award, Dr JS Pruthi Award, etc for his outstanding contribution in the field of food processing. Professional details of Professor Mishra can be found at www.fctliitkgp.co.in.

Dean Ho

From N-of-1 healthcare to food technology: harnessing digital medicine approaches to food and nutrition challenges – Dr. Dean Ho, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore

Abstract: The emergence of digital medicine is making it possible to optimise N-of-1 regimen design for patients, and subsequently personalise the dosing of these regimens. In addition to optimising personalised healthcare, digital medicine platforms can be expanded towards other applications in nutrition and food security. In particular, the ability to globally optimise regimen design and dosing can be harnessed to prioritise or de-prioritise combinations of factors that can drive increases in food yield without sacrificing nutritional yield. This talk will address the interface of medicine and food technology, empowered by digital medicine platforms.

Prof. Dean Ho is Provost’s Chair Professor, Director of The N.1 Institute for Health (N.1), Director of the Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), and Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the National University of Singapore.

Prof. Dean Ho is a Fellow of the US National Academy of Inventors (NAI), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and the Royal Society of Chemistry. He is a Subgroup Lead of the WHO AI Regulatory Working Group. He is a recipient of the Tech Heroes from Crisis: Pathfinder Award from the Singapore Computer Society, NSF CAREER Award, Wallace H. Coulter Foundation Translational Research Award, and V Foundation for Cancer Research Scholar Award, among others. His discoveries have been featured on CNN, The Economist, Forbes, Washington Post, NPR and other international news outlets.

Victor Owino

Combating the double burden of malnutrition: building evidence-base with nuclear and isotopic techniques – Dr. Victor Owino, Nutritional and Health-Related Environmental Studies Section, Division of Human Health, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Austria

Abstract: The double burden of malnutrition, co-existence of stunting, wasting, micronutrient deficiencies on the one hand with rising of overweight and obesity, remains a global problem with disproportionate burden on low-and-middle income countries. Complex and dynamic foods systems driven by strong factors such as climate change, urbanization and covid-19 pandemic exacerbate the problem via reduced food nutrient concentration and bioavailability, increased sedentary lifestyle, consumption of unhealthy diets and exposure to adverse environmental hazards. Ability to accurately measure nutrition indicators such as nutrient absorption, infant and young child feeding practices, body fat accumulation becomes urgently imperative. The presentation will cover how the IAEA supports its Member States to apply safe and non-invasive stable isotope and related nuclear techniques to generate evidence necessary for policy formulation and programme design to combat the double burden of malnutrition.

Dr. Victor Owino is a Nutrition Specialist in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Nutritional and Health-Related Environmental Studies Section. His work focuses on supporting IAEA Member States to apply stable isotope techniques to design and evaluate nutrition interventions that target all forms of malnutrition. Specific areas include assessment of protein quality, interaction between adverse environmental exposures, nutrient metabolism and related nutritional and health outcomes. Dr. Owino previously worked with Valid Nutrition on development and testing of the efficacy of novel ready to use foods for management of acute malnutrition and headed the Department of Human Nutrition at the Technical University of Kenya.

Bernardo Calzadilla-Sarmiento

Artificial intelligence – Dr. Bernardo Calzadilla-Sarmiento, Managing Director, Directorate of Digitalization, Technology and Agri-Business, and Director, Department of Digitalization, Technology and Innovation, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Austria

Dr. Bernardo Calzadilla-Sarmiento has been Director for the Technical Assistance and Training at the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). As Director of the Department of Trade, Investment and Innovation, Dr. Calzadilla has been leading the work on quality and standards for trade facilitation, investment for sustainable development and innovation in the context of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR).

An experienced manager and global leader, managing 700 staff internationally, With more than 30 years of international experience in global development, his involvement includes working in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Dr. Calzadilla has held position in investment promotion, funds mobilization and social responsibility. Dr. Calzadilla holds a Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Economics from the Vienna University of Economics and Business (Austria).

Watch Session 1 Presentation Videos