New Zealand’s Plant & Food Research will work alongside single desk marketer Zespri on research into whether kiwifruit can help better manage blood glucose levels.
The study is being backed by a NZ$1m (US$665,000) grant from the New Zealand Ministry of Business & Innovation’s High Value Nutrition Fund, which will be made available over a three year period.
Juliet Ansell, Zespri’s innovation leader for health and nutrition, hoped the study's findings would add weight to the company's health strategy, which forms the basis of its consumer marketing and communications programmes around the world.
“Our research shows that the more consumers know about the health benefits of kiwifruit, the more likely they are to see kiwifruit as an important nutritious addition to the daily diet,” Ansell explained. “We want to build on our base of loyal, regular consumers who value the health benefits they get from eating kiwifruit.”
Zespri’s general manager for marketing and innovation, Carol Ward, said promoting the nutritional value of fruit was becoming increasingly important when taking into account global trends towards aging populations, rising middle classes in developing countries and increasing interest in healthy living.
“This funding is great news: the results of this work could well give our consumers another reason to buy Zespri kiwifruit,” Ward said. “This will help grow our industry’s export revenue and returns to New Zealand growers.”
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