Institute of Food Research, NARO

Division of Food Function Research

Our daily diet helps us to maintain good physique which leads to a healthy and productive life. In the division of food function research, we conduct research on dietary habits that help to extend healthy life expectancy and dietary habits that maintain good health in the new lifestyle post-COVID-19. We aim to create new foods that are delicious and healthy for individuals of all ages. So far, we have clarified the health functionality of Japanese agricultural products and have developed new sensory function evaluation technology. In addition to these studies, we will develop a "personal healthcare diet" that improves the "minor health complaints" of subjective symptoms that are signs of illness, using Japanese agricultural products. Diet Imbalance increases the risk of lifestyle-related diseases and frailty (weakness of the elderly), but less than 50% of people habitually eat a well-balanced diet in Japan. Therefore, we will develop a system that finds out the disorder of dietary balance by urinalysis and proposes a well-balanced diet that suits the person. In addition, we have developed a technology to measure the texture related to the preference and the reaction of the body when eating so that the preference that suits the person can be reproduced with food, and to convert the characteristics into data. We will work simultaneously on the social implementation of these results.

Manager

KUSAKABE Yuko

Research Group


Centers・Institutes